Hello, Stranger Poems

Another poet working quietly and effectively away in the Machars is Anne Dunford. Anne Dunford spent her working life teaching and later training with a literacy project in Yorkshire. Since moving to Wigtownshire in 2002, she has been able to give more time to her writing. She read with Jackie Kay in Poetry Doubles 2005 and five of her short plays have been performed at the Swallow Theatre near Whithorn. She has recently radiated towards the creative maelstrom that is the Beltie Books Poetry Group.
Her poems have been published in various poetry magazines and anthologies including The Dawn Treader, Poetry Scotland’s Open Mouse and Heart Shoots published by Indigo Dreams.

Here she writes a poem about opening up: to theatre, to friends, to humanity.

Swallow Theatre First Night 5th July 2021

Thomas Hardy al fresco;
Tess of the D'Urbervilles - live!
Real swallows as extras!
Evening sun casts light over

the audience at Scotland's
smallest theatre. We sit
socially distanced, we´re
masked when we move,

follow the signs
for drinks in the interval,
greet friends we haven't seen
for well over a year.

We taste again a rich feast
where actors and audience
don´t have to act delight
at being together once again.

If you would like to know more about Anne Dunford's work please visit her websites:

Blog: https://annedunford.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anne.dunford.98

The series is curated by Hugh McMillan, poet and writer, Ambassador for the Scottish Poetry Library in 2020 and Editor of its anthology ‘Best Scottish Poems’ for 2021.