Limits on what poets can say? A column by Swindon Link Poetry Correspondent Maurice Spillane

“I entirely approve of rubbish bins and rawl plugs as subjects for poetry,” said poet Alison Brackenbury, many years ago.

The occasion was sharing with her an incident in London where I read poems from my book 'The Game Parade' which is about people involved in farming and their pursuits: beaters, pickers-up, game keepers, farmers.

These are subjects of Swindon writers Richard Jefferies and Alfred Williams, who celebrated our countryside.

I told stories to give context and read the relevant poem, got a few laughs and lots of smiles, made them feel that Swindon should be on their bucket-list.

A woman poet stood up and shouted “Shame!” She said it was a disgrace to write poems about such people and their pursuits in killing animals. Quite a few joined her, and I realised the smiles I’d seen earlier were more likely grimaces.

I said I hadn’t mentioned killing and mollified the uproar by changing the argument to censorship.