Elizabeth Loudon

In bureaucracy lie the ghosts of history.

I am not alone.

I absolutely love this. You capture the vulnerability and curiosity so well - and the sense that dead women, invisible women (and ghost cats) are somehow within reach.

Astonishment by Wisława Szymborska "What made me fill myself with me so squarely?"

And she once said she spent most her time lying on the sofa and thinking about poetry. open.substack.com/pub/onlypoem...

Oh Derek. It is. And yet….

You always whack the nail on the head.

I always wear one piece and have for years. She died last November. It’s so odd to want her things then feel I’m stealing them.

So after extensive consideration of AI and threats to us all I conclude: if you do your job sitting down, you’re toast. Unless you’re an airline pilot.

You know what I’m going to say. Another beauty! And yesterday I sat alone in my mother’s house for the first time in 50 plus years and looked at her jewellery and felt like a thief. So nice timing.

Oh god. When poetry does this - goes where nothing else can.

I can’t hardly stand it this is so light footed and melancholic. All I want to do today is read it. Thank you @chenchenwrites.bsky.social.

I’m enjoying the book spines. Also. I have the same Kleenex box. Very Waitrose.

I agree. I’m a long range fan of @janezwart.bsky.social as she knows. This one is lovely and spreads its wings far and wide.

Hard agree. It’s downright sinister.

It’s so exhausting and sad. I’ve been there. I’m sorry.

Wonderful news!

I speak as somebody who went briefly to OHS, but it didn’t end well.

That’s just so Oxford.

I doubt it’s Christian.

Is season 2 worth it? How many more d’s in distress (and pale blue lingerie? In a mercenary encampment?) can I take? And without smirky Corky?

This came up as I was watching ep 5 of season 1 of TNM. My phone knows everything. And Corky is gone.

The best thing about writing poetry is these wonderful editors. Working often for free and at weekends, and so thoughtful.

They published one of my poems a while ago, and I was so proud. xx

Wonderful news about a wonderful poet!

Look what arrived today in sleepy, frosty Gloucestershire.

Well what's good enough for Louise Gluck is certainly good enough for me. Back to being unhappy for the most part it is.

Bsky experiment! Here's Elizabeth Loudon (@esloudon.bsky.social) reading her poem “Renunciation” from our forthcoming issue Shō No. 8. You can also read the poem on our website: shopoetryjournal.com/elizabeth-lo...
An earlier version of this poem appears in Best New Poets 2025.

Wow - thank you! I was outside a lot today too. Xxx

This was perfectly the poem I needed to read right now. Thank you.

There are poets I read and follow because I know they're way ahead of me, digging deeper, reaching further - but their work never goes out of sight, it always speaks to me. You're one of them. You inspire me to keep writing and to write better. Thank you!