A statement by Dannie Abse

Dannie Abse. Photograph by Gemma Levine HOMAGE TO DANNIE ABSE A statement by Dannie Abse I am committed to the next poem that 'happens' and then the next. I say 'happens' because I have never been able to will a poem into existence. Though poetry is written in the brain the brain is bathed in blood, and consequently one must wait for—to use an old-fashioned word—'inspiration .' Sometimes whilst waiting I have written novels and plays, for I would rather write, say, a play, than commit fine thoughts to a notebook or private diary. In any case, as I grow older, my thinking becomes more confused. I mean that the more I read and the more I experience and the more I know, the more I journey into ignorance. I am still waiting for the next poem, and if the periods of waiting sometimes become prolonged, I recall my motto, which is: 'Be visited, expect nothing, and endure.' ...