The poems in this volume represent a span of over forty years, the earliest having been written in my twenties. I decided against a strict chronological order, preferring to bring together those related by theme or genre. Some poems that appeared in Watchwords (Cape, 1969) were occasional pieces commissioned for television performance, and in their best interests I have omitted them.
A number of poems have been revised, but only where the language seemed unwieldy, even at the time of writing, and some puns have not improved with age. But I have tried to resist the temptation to revise my original thoughts and feelings, however naive and indiscreet they appear in grizzled retrospect.
Sky in the Pie (Kestrel, 1989) was my first book of poems written for children, and to date there have been six more. The line that divides children’s poems from adults’ is a blurred one, and the few that have crossed over into this collection seem more at home. It is not a question of their having been upgraded. Seven previously unpublished poems are also included at no extra cost to the reader.
My thanks to Tony Lacey at Penguin, Adrian Mealing at U.K.touring, and to Peters, Fraser & Dunlop, but especially to all the readers and listeners who have supported me over the years.