Riddle
Conjure with me: three letters
of the alphabet, or two and one, or one.
Run me backwards and I would seem to be unchanged,
but that would be an uphill task of course.
My name speaks of former times
while I am still current:
though what current can be still?

first published in The New Exeter Book of Riddles
(eds Lawrence Sail & Kevin Crossley-Holland,
Enitharmon Press 2002), and now laid
in the pavement in Exeter High Street.

• Leaping & Staggering (Dilettante, 1988; 2nd edition 1996) - a collection
  which the literary magazine Westwords' called "impressive", the events
  publication Event South-West called "an impressive debut", and the
  Grauniad newspaper called "Leaning & Staggering". Click for sample.
  


• In The Stillness (Dilettante, 1990) - a sequence of 16 poems based on
  the writings of the 14th century English mystic, Julian of Norwich,
  Revelations of Divine Love. Robert Llewelyn, the then chaplain of the
  Julian Cell in Norwich, wrote of them that "they admirably catch the
  spirit of Julian and illuminate aspects of her teaching". Click for sample.
  


• The Melting Woman (Blue Button, 1993) - a collection with the long
  title poem at its heart, about which the literary magazine Odyssey
  wrote "[the title poem] is worth getting the book for alone, but
  Richard Skinner is a skilful poet and the rest of the collection is
  especially satisfying with several good, lyrical, contemplative, some-
  times humorous pieces to enjoy".
  Regrettably, this title is currently out-of-print
  


• Still Staggering (Dilettante, 1995) - the titular sequel to Leaping &
  Staggering, the highlight of which is the set of five 'Falcon Sonnets'
  that according to the reviewer in The Dart "startle and delight". The
  book, he continues, "...is a wonderful collection, that contains much
  I will treasure and re-read". Regrettably, this title is also currently out-of-
  print, but the Falcon Sonnets are included in the later collection 'The Logic of
  Whistling'.
  


• Echoes of Eckhart (Cairns/Arthur James, 1998) - a set of 74 short, pithy
  poems - haiku-like in quality - based on the teachings of the 13th/14th
  century German mystic, Meister Eckhart. Click for sample.
  


• The Logic of Whistling (Cairns 2002) - a set of 18 poems in homage
  to RS Thomas opens this collection, which is closed by ten speculations
  on the 'gap' between the finger of God and the finger of Adam in
  Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam. In between are poems on, among
  other things, a garden pond, Wittgenstein, solitude, Russian icons, as well
  as a prize winning sestina on the comedian Peter Cook. Click for sample.
  

• Invocations (Wild Goose, 2005) a set of 40 meditative poems in the tradition of the 'Advent Antiphons', but incorporating symbolism from creation, science, technology and human psychology. A Swedish edition Anrop has appeared (Verbum, 2006) which includes an extra 'Invocation' dedicated to Sweden's greatest - or at least most famous - export: O Abba. Click for sample.

• 1998-2007: with Christopher Southgate, annual readings in Exeter as part of
  the Exeter (Autumn) Festival of the Arts, when we usually play to a full house.
• 1989: with Christopher Southgate, a series of readings throughout the south-
  west, sponsored by South-West Arts.
• 1993: a solo reading at the Devon & Exeter Arts Centre (now known as
  'the Phoenix').
• 1993: with Christopher Southgate, a series of readings on the Edinburgh
  Festival Fringe.
• 1993-2001: many one-off readings in Devon, Somerset and Wiltshire.
• 2001: The Virtual Rhinoceros Tour: with Christopher Southgate, a series of
  readings and workshops throughout the south-west sponsored by SW Arts.
• 2004: featured poet at the Torbay Poetry Festival.
• 2008: Readings in Exeter with Lawrence Sail & Dana Littlepage Smith; and
  with Christopher Southgate & Ron Tamplin.

Commissions

• Exeter Health Care Arts commissioned The First Haiku of Spring (republished
  in The Logic of Whistling).


• East Devon Council commissioned a series of poems based on local areas of
  outstanding natural beauty. Three of the resulting poems also appear in
  The Logic of Whistling.


• The editors of The New Exeter Book of Riddles (Enitharmon Press, 2002)
  commissioned a riddle, which subsequently has been incorporated in Exeter
  City Council's environmental enhancement programme by being carved in
  stone and laid as part of the pavement (pictured below).