Ten Poems About Childhood

Childhood must be one of poetry’s very favourite subjects. Countless poems try to capture the light and shade of being very young – moments that lodge vividly in our adult memories. This beautiful mini-anthology ventures off the beaten track with poems that will be new to many readers. From a group of children who: “…thought words travelled the wires In the shiny pouches of raindrops,” – from ‘The Railway Children’ by Seamus Heaney to a baby entranced by mirrors and glass, we see the world in language that sparkles with newness. Mimi Khalvati’s selection reflects her fascination with how we learn to talk and read, and there are poems about a first encounter with books and about children from different cultures playing ball and swapping words in a village square.