Zygote Poems

Zygote Poems by Richard Thomas traces a father's journey from 'Do you want this baby in HTML / or plain text?' through to his beloved daughter's first year. The use of language mirrors baby talk, the mind fog created by anxiety and the 'Surtralleene' prescribed to deal with it. A unique and brave unfolding of young fatherhood. Richard Thomas is a poet from Plymouth, UK, with poems and haiku published internationally. Richard has a BA, with First Class Honours, in English and Creative Writing from Plymouth University, and was shortlisted for the National Poetry Competition 2011. Richard's debut poetry collection, The Strangest Thankyou, was published by Cultured Llama in 2012. Zygote Poems is as engaging as it is starkly honest, grappling in equal measure with the anxieties and charms that come with new fatherhood. Thomas' poems offer a guide through the mundane intimacy of daily routines, from dirty nappies, to tinned pineapples, to newly cut teeth, as the richness of language and wordplay veer away from easy sentimentalities to confront the very real challenges (and joys) of holding on to one's own emotional strength as they take responsibility for another. Angela Szczepaniak, Lecturer in English and Creative Writing, Plymouth University