Tessera

Ian Brownlie

@ianbrownlie.bsky.social

Writer of poetry/fiction for children (Dirigible, Tyger Tyger, Little Thoughts, Nimblewitlit, The Toy) and adults (Shine, Viridine, Underbelly, Rough Diamond) | Pushcart nom '26, Times/CH LL | he/him

762 Posts805 Follower 1029 Folgt

Doug Sloane @dougsloane.eurosky.social · 3h ago

What a great statement by Macklemore

Prem Thakker ツ@premthakker.bsky.social · 4h ago

New: Macklemore says Robert Kraft — who owns Gillette Stadium, where Macklemore & Ed Sheeran were to perform later this month — called Sheeran. Kraft rallied other owners together behind an ultimatum for Sheeran: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you won't be allowed in our venues.

I'm not sure how to start this. So I'm going to speak from the heart and share the truth. Ed Sheeran and his team have made the decision to remove me from The Loop tour.
But before I get into it, I want to say something that should be obvious. In this moment I think it matters. I am not a victim. Ed Sheeran is not a victim. Pink is not a victim. We have careers, money, opportunities, safety and audiences around the world. Whatever consequences any of us face for what we say, we get to go home to our families.

The victims are the Palestinian people. The men, women and children who have been killed, starved, displaced and forced to live through unimaginable violence. More than 20,000 children have been killed in Gaza alone. People are being killed today, and people will be killed tomorrow. I want to make sure that as I tell this story, we don't lose sight of that.

Ed is my friend. I've known him for 13 years. We've shared late nights, studio sessions and stages. He has this infectious magic about him that I've grown to love. I consider him a brother. And because of that, we've had some difficult conversations this past week. The type of talks rooted in love and respect for one another that still end in a place of fundamental disagreement. Nothing I'm writing here is out of spite or because I want to tear down his character. But as I told Ed multiple times on the phone, our friendship can't change my responsibility to tell the truth about what happened.

Last Monday, in the middle of all the media attention surrounding Pink and what I said at MetLife, Ed told me that Robert Kraft called him. We were scheduled to play Gillette Stadium later this month, which is owned by the Kraft Group. Ed told me that Kraft said I would not be allowed to perform in his stadium. Ed also told me that Kraft had rallied some of the other
stadium owners and collectively they gave him an ultimatum: if Macklemore stays on the tour, you will not be allowed to play in our venues.

Ed was in …

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · yesterday

Absolutely over the moon (sorry) to have a poem in The School Magazine! Perfectly illustrated by Greg Holfeld too. #PoetryCommunity #WritingCommunity #KidLit #WritingForChildren #Poem #Aliens

A page from the September edition of The School Magazine, Australia. The illustration by Greg Holfeld shows a child in a spacesuit bouncing on a trampoline, while below a dog with many eyes looks on.

Aliens

Do you believe in aliens?
Archibald does not.
Though he dresses as a Space Ranger
from the distant planet Splot.

He bounces on his trampoline
and pretends he’s up in space,
darting through the starry sky
as the Vandrigogs give chase.

But Archie knows that’s make believe.
The Vandrigogs aren’t real.
There’s no such place as Extoo 5
and Squinks aren’t pink and teal.

He takes his Ranger helmet off
and climbs into bed at night.
He wiggles his antennae
and then shuts his twelve eyes tight!

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 2d ago

Things I was frightened of as a child: Triffids That disused first aid hut People without faces (thanks Sapphire and Steel) Spiders Dreams about that disused first aid hut The lizards from V Parts of the old Bromsgrove swimming baths, between the changing rooms and the pool (Backrooms vibes)

Lin Hart@poetry-with-hart.bsky.social · 2d ago

Things I was frightened of as a child: Bees Langoliers Public speaking Large crowds Wild dogs coming in our house So and so The other so and so That one place that one time Falling out of a tree into a thorn bush

Sue Ibrahim @sueimnw.bsky.social · 4d ago

For this week's #PoemsAbout theme #FaultLines with thanks to @thebrokenspine.co.uk

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 3d ago

And this morning I have given myself the earworm of 'Your Fault' from Into the Woods. Which is great, but even so. #PoemsAbout #FaultLines

my fault

clearly things had gone pear-shaped
it was another failure
another inquest would begin
another post-mortem
concluding that there had been
no indication

but i would pass my driving test eventually

Jen Thorne @jenthorne.bsky.social · 4d ago

I am chuffed to have a poem in the brilliant Rats Ass review along with @madp03t.bsky.social. Go have a look, there's some cool poems in it 🐭 ratsassreview.net?page_id=4627

Fall-Winter 2026 Issue -

(Cover Art — Crow 0005 gel print by Anita Dime) The Poetry J.R. Acero KNOWN & KNOWING We are two strangers who happen to know the layout of each other’s childhoods; the origins o...

ratsassreview.net

Oisín McGann @oisinmcgann.bsky.social · 4d ago

Tech companies adding genAI features to their devices. 'Hey, what if this thing you like and use all the time did the most annoying fucking thing you've ever seen?'

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 5d ago

Thanks again to @thetoypress.bsky.social #WordOfTheWeek #Leaves #PoetryCommunity #WritingCommunity #KidLit

September

Winter’s put on ice
Spring’s out
Summer breaks
Autumn leaves

The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢@thetoypress.bsky.social · last wk.

A bit late in the day, but here is your #wordoftheweek! #writingcommunity #writingforchildren #poetrycommunity #poetryforchildren

Stuart Ian Burns @feelinglistless.bsky.social · last wk.

Sadly the kind of AI which took potential jobs away from artists. Boo Danny Boyle, boo. deadline.com/2026/09/dann...

Danny Boyle Confirms Use Of AI In New Movie 'Ink'

"There's about 30 seconds of it in our movie," the Oscar winner said about using AI to bring the Kray twins and Margaret Thatcher to life on screen.

deadline.com

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · last wk.

Inspired by @jenthorne.bsky.social's Black Country #PoetsOfDoom #Local #Poem. Being from ten miles south of Birmingham, the linguistic differences aren't quite so apparent! @sonnetsmith.bsky.social @daveashleypoet.bsky.social #poetrycommunity

outdoors

my brummie accent had been carefully disappeared
by the time i arrived at university in liverpool
to meet up with a bunch of southerners
that i hoped to blend in with

but in the very first week
we needed to go and buy alcohol
from the small shop
that sold mainly alcohol

honestly
i’d have got less grief for shitting my pants
than i got for asking the southerners
if we were going to the outdoor*

* An outdoor is an off-licence or liquor store. But only if you’re from a certain area, apparently.

Mike O’Brien @zoomburst.substack.com · 2w ago

#OddChallenge Number 3. Write a poem in the form of a recipe. As ever, I shall be selecting a handful of responses for a future edition of #60OddPoems but I'll only use stuff that has previously been posted on social media. Tag it, bag it, and send it to forensics. #poetry #prompts

The excellent image for this month's challenge comes from Diana who runs a website filled with vintage items and photographs at https://adirondackgirlatheart.com/

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 2w ago

I made a bit of a meal of this one @zoomburst.substack.com #OddChallenge #60OddPoems #poetry #prompts (Only one of these measurements isn't real, by the way.)

My Secret Recipe

7 grams of Keep your nose out
2 teaspoons of Hey, don’t stare
1 cup of Mind your own business
Just a pinch of I won’t share
13 quarts of No, not telling
6 pounds of What’s it to you?
Half a pint of Get ‘orf my land
12 good pecks of No can do
A quarter squench of Stay in your lane
8 firlots of I shan’t say
5 crans of Get lost and stay there
1 handful of Go away!

Paul Connolly @thepaulconnolly.bsky.social · 2w ago

Delighted & grateful to @markantonyowen.com to be in this @iamb.uk wave with dear friends @benedictan.bsky.social @francesca-laura.bsky.social @johnadlam.bsky.social @simonmaddrell.bsky.social @em-words.bsky.social @niamhvh-l.bsky.social @tracierenee.bsky.social & other fine poets #poetrycommunity

𝒊𝒂𝒎𝒃 ~ 𝒑𝒐𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒅@iamb.uk · 2w ago

Meet the poets of wave twenty-seven: Anna Shelton, Benedicta Norell, Chloe Victoria Gorman, Elizabeth Cook, Em Gray, Francesca L Rolle, John Adlam, McLord Selasi Azelekor, Nathaniel Calhoun, Niamh Hollis-Locke, Paul Connolly, Rachel Hosein Nisbet, Rosie Barrett, Simon Maddrell and Tracie Renee.

Promotional poster for wave twenty-seven of online poetry journal iamb. As well as naming all 15 poets set to feature, it has their author photos in black and white. The publication date shown is September 15th 2026.

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 2w ago

Thanks @thetoypress.bsky.social! #WordOfTheWeek #Cue #PoetryCommunity #WritingCommunity #KidLit #Snooker

Snookered

The light is on
The table’s set
My presence?
Overdue

But I can't come
And pot balls yet
I'm waiting
For my cue

The Toy 🍩🦜🍑🌻🌈🪐🛼🎈🐢@thetoypress.bsky.social · 2w ago

Hello, here is your #wordoftheweek! #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #poetryforchildren #writingforchildren

John Chmura @johnchmura.bsky.social · 3w ago

#PoemsAbout #EndOfSummer #PoemsAloud @thebrokenspine.co.uk

Anna Orridge @anna-orridge.bsky.social · 2w ago

Time to fold that dress, put sandals at the back of the shoe chest. My toes recoil from the chill, but my fingers linger on flimsy fabric still, as evening shadows encroach further on my window sill. #PoemsAbout #EndOfSummer

Emily M. Bender @emilymbender.bsky.social · 2w ago

Really tried of the genre of bsky discourse that goes: "Here is an incredibly pointless thing I use LLMs for, now please bsky be normal about it." >>

Sue Ibrahim @sueimnw.bsky.social · 3w ago

For this week's #PoemsAbout theme #EndOfSummer with thanks to @thebrokenspine.co.uk

Karen Pierce Gonzalez @karenpgonzalez.bsky.social · 3w ago

Some #Prompts are like stage curtains. In this case, when pulled back, they can reveal #poetic plots worthy (I hope) of applause! #PoemsAbout #EndOfSummer #Poetry #PoetsOfBlueSky @thebrokenspine.co.uk #StayCreative

Season’s End

Someone left a rowboat
tied to the dry dock
of late summer

Was that you?

Did you row with driftwood oars
to the sleepy shore of me
sandy
sun-warmed

waiting
always waiting
for the promise of you

to ripen on my tongue?

And why did you
surf the salt waves of my want
then dissolve
without even swimming

the sea in my heart?

Karen Pierce Gonzalez

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 2w ago

A #Haiku for #PoemsAbout #EndOfSummer. Written yesterday morning, when I was very glad to have some rain. a curtain of rain now falls on shakedown summer hold those encores please @thebrokenspine.co.uk

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 3w ago

The sad news about Dolly Parton inspired me to yet another #PoetsOfDoom effort. The two songs mentioned regularly featured in family playlists for long car journeys.

Screenshot (1 of 2) of a Spotify playlist with titles partially blacked out, and remaining words making up the first line of the poem: No more Jolene or 9 to 5 tomorrow

Screenshot (2 of 2) of a Spotify playlist with titles partially blacked out, and remaining words making up the second line of the poem: Parton is such sweet sorrow

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 3w ago

Funnily enough, I was working on this one before the #PoetsOfDoom prompt, but the aim is sort of the same, just using full titles of things to increase the difficulty level for myself! Extensive notes given in alt text. @sonnetsmith.bsky.social @jenthorne.bsky.social @daveashleypoet.bsky.social

Ian Brownlie@ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 3w ago

A second entry for #PoemsAbout #DeepCuts, which, well, just does what the title says really. (References in alt text) @thebrokenspine.co.uk @stacebot.bsky.social

Here is a reference list of the ‘deep cuts’ that make up the poem. Please bear in mind that whether something is a deep cut is often context-dependent!

Songs
Life is by Jessica Pratt
Ever Rotating Sky by David Thomas Broughton
It’s Raining Today by Scott Walker
The Past is a Grotesque Animal by Of Montreal
Loneliness Shines by Malcolm Middleton

Albums
Waking the Dreaming Body by Karima Walker
And I Have Been by Benjamin Clementine
The Ruby Cord by Richard Dawson

TV Shows
Delocated (Jon Glaser witness protection comedy)
15 Stories High (comedian Sean Lock's best work)

Films
The Illusionist (not that one, the 2010 Chomet film)
Identikit (1974 adaptation of Spark’s The Driver’s Seat with Liz Taylor)
House (1977 Japanese horror)
Perfect Blue (1997 anime)
River (2023 Japanese time-loop film)
A New Leaf (1971 Elaine May comedy)
In Fabric (2018, Peter Strickland horror, or comedy if you're in the right mood)
Images (1972, Altman)
PlayTime (1967, Tati)
The Night Visitor (1971 Max von Sydow thriller)

Misc
Going Deep – US improv comedy podcast about a therapist with Lily Sullivan
Now You Know – song from the musical Merrily We Roll Along

Full poem text:

this poem is made up of titles that will one day no longer be deep cuts because this poem will have become so famous

life is the illusionist
identikit house
ever rotating sky
perfect blue river

a new leaf waking
the dreaming body delocated
fifteen stories high in
fabric images

playtime
it’s raining
today the past is
a grotesque animal
and i have been the ruby cord
the night visitor
going deep now
you know loneliness shines

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 3w ago

A second entry for #PoemsAbout #DeepCuts, which, well, just does what the title says really. (References in alt text) @thebrokenspine.co.uk @stacebot.bsky.social

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 3w ago

Like this? #PoetsOfDoom (Only using songs I like) @sonnetsmith.bsky.social @jenthorne.bsky.social @daveashleypoet.bsky.social

Screenshot of a Spotify playlist called 'just larks' with titles partially blacked out, and remaining words making up the first line of Philip Larkin's This be the Verse: They fuck you up your mum and dad

Jen Thorne @jenthorne.bsky.social · 4w ago

"I SMELL TOAST" Halloween 2026 anthology is now open for submissions ✍️🎃 I am so excited about this joint project with @madp03t.bsky.social We want your poetry, flash fiction and art 🫵 Everyone is welcome, more details and how to submit are below 👇 Please share 🙏 shorturl.at/xqxsA

IST - Call for Submissions

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS I SMELL TOASTA Halloween anthology of poetry, flash fiction & original visual art Jen Thorne and Eric "Madp03t" Montgomery, publishing as The Ampersand Syndicate, are putting to...

shorturl.at

Ian Brownlie @ianbrownlie.bsky.social · 3w ago

My first thought this week was doing a poem about some nerdy deep cuts in music or films, but I couldn't quite get my thoughts on that together. This one is a little more surgical. #PoemsAbout #DeepCuts @thebrokenspine.co.uk

The poem is shaped so that the first four, rhyming, lines are semi-structured but rough, with the remaining lines being split up roughly in the middle to give the impression of a cut running through the poem.

the first cut

protected by a solid wall
that keeps out water, cold and all
toxicants that might do harm
a barrier and magic charm
but what about the artful knife
that’s sharp enough to breach blockades
in seconds hungrily cleanly
slicing down slicing through
until you are forced to admit
it’s only skin it’s only skin

Jen Thorne @jenthorne.bsky.social · 3w ago

#PoemsAbout #DeepCuts @alanparrywriter.co.uk @thebrokenspine.co.uk

Scar

I trace it once more.
That small smudge,
a strawberry-juice stroke
on soft, pale skin.

Strange how a moment
that split me open
left almost nothing
for the eye to find.

If only the wound
that never surfaced
could close
as quietly.

Epistemic Literary- Read Issue 8: Righteous Rage now!@epistemiclit.bsky.social · 4w ago

Please spread the word to the #KidLit writers and illustrators, teachers, parents, and children in your lives! Subs are sloooow epistemiclit.com/nimblewitlit...

SUBMIT -

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN AUGUST 1-SEPTEMBER 15, 2026.

epistemiclit.com

Nimblewitlit Mag@nimblewitlit.bsky.social · 4w ago

Want to submit to our “choices” issue but don’t know what to write or draw? We got you! Enjoy this writing and drawing prompt worksheet bundle, and send us your creations!

Samantha Terrell @samanthaterrell.bsky.social · 4w ago

Friends and #poetrylovers, I'm delighted to share that my new collection 'Survival Instincts' releases from The Poetry Lighthouse (UK) one month from today...Sept. 18th. I thought today would be a good day for a #coverreveal! I hope you'll keep an eye out and consider reading 'Survival Instincts'!

cover art of 'Survival Instincts' by Samantha Terrell , green and orange sunset over hills

Emjayess @em-jay-ess.bsky.social · 4w ago

I knew I saved this for a reason!