Perspectives Magazine Substack Podcast

I started this Substack in November 2024, growing out of a contemplation series we had already been sending to around 300 people on the Forest Row mailing list. A conversation with a young friend – who told me she and her friends no longer read much, preferring audio – made me wonder how these reflections might reach a wider circle. This led me to Substack, and the podcast option.Before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people found their way to a paid subscription. Their generosity has given me the time to care for this growing community.In May 2025, I found myself wondering whether a prose contemplation might work better as a poem. I have written some song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory. Those of you who have been here a while have watched it evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. Peter and I have now invited some of the poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here – roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.I am fortunate to have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so the motif usually finds me quickly; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learned early that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication makes for stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.We now have 240 subscribers. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation: if a poem speaks to you, please pass it on.A paid subscription gives you full access to the archive, occasional anthologies with notes and references, and a quarterly PDF of Perspectives.Tom Ravetzperspectives-magazine.co.uk This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024, growing out of a contemplation series we had already been sending to around 300 people on the Forest Row mailing list. A conversation with a young friend – who told me she and her friends no longer read much, preferring audio – made me wonder how these reflections might reach a wider circle. This led me to Substack, and the podcast option.Before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people found their way to a paid subscription. Their generosity has given me the time to care for this growing community.In May 2025, I found myself wondering whether a prose contemplation might work better as a poem. I have written some song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory. Those of you who have been here a while have watched it evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. Peter and I have now invited some of the poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here – roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.I am fortunate to have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so the motif usually finds me quickly; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learned early that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication makes for stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.We now have 240 subscribers. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation: if a poem speaks to you, please pass it on.A paid subscription gives you full access to the archive, occasional anthologies with notes and references, and a quarterly PDF of Perspectives.Tom Ravetzperspectives-magazine.co.uk This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.comI started this Substack in November 2024, growing out of a contemplation series we had already been sending to around 300 people on the Forest Row mailing list. A conversation with a young friend – who told me she and her friends no longer read much, preferring audio – made me wonder how these reflections might reach a wider circle. This led me to Substack, and the podcast option.Before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people found their way to a paid subscription. Their generosity has given me the time to care for this growing community.In May 2025, I found myself wondering whether a prose contemplation might work better as a poem. I have written some song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory. Those of you who have been here a while have watched it evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. Peter and I have now invited some of the poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here – roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.I am fortunate to have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so the motif usually finds me quickly; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learned early that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication makes for stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.We now have 230 subscribers. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation: if a poem speaks to you, please pass it on.A paid subscription gives you full access to the archive, occasional anthologies with notes and references, and a quarterly PDF of Perspectives.Tom Ravetzperspectives-magazine.co.uk

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I started this Substack in November 2024.For some years we had been sending contemplations on the weekly gospel readings to the Forest Row mailing list of about 300 people. I began to wonder whether these reflections might serve a wider circle, especially after a conversation with a young friend who told me that she and her friends no longer read much at all, preferring podcasts and audio instead.Soon after launching the Substack, and before I had even decided whether to offer a paid option, a few people discovered how to take out a paid subscription. Their generosity has enabled us to pay for support in other areas of my life, giving me the time needed to care for this growing community.In May, I was looking again at a prose contemplation and I suddenly wondered whether it would work better as a poem. I have written song lyrics and read poetry all my life, but this was new territory for me. Those of you who have been here a while will have seen the poetry evolve. I have been deeply grateful for the encouragement of Peter Howe, deputy editor of Perspectives and a poet himself. I count myself fortunate because I have been living with the weekly gospel readings for many years, so I don’t have to search for a long time to find the motif I want to write about; the real labour is always in finding the right form. I also learnt fairly quickly that writing a poem on Monday for Sunday publication leads to stress and thin poetry, so I now work several months ahead.With Peter, I have invited some poets who write for Perspectives to contribute here, with the hope of welcoming roughly one guest poet each month from May onwards.Remembering the creativity of the Covid years, we also began offering online talks and study sessions. So far we have held two gospel studies and an art-history talk, with nearly fifty people taking part.We now have 220 subscribers. I am writing first to thank you, and also to ask for your help. Publications like this grow through personal recommendation. If a poem speaks to you, and you can think of someone who might be touched by it too, please do pass it on.As a January offer, a paid subscription is available at a 25% discount. Aside from the reward of supporting our work, a paid subscription entitles you to full access to the archive of all posts, occasional anthologies of poems with notes and references and reduced price or free participation in online events. You will also receive a PDF copy of Perspectives every quarter. You’ll find the special offer here.With very best wishes for 2026, Tom Ravetz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4) ‘Our thoughts and prayers’ weightless words drift, disperse, leaving no trace. Petitions scroll, light on screens; they cannot write the stories of lives erased. A finger follows a map of grief, traced in tears shed without water on ashen cheeks. Steps sink through carpet to laden tables; wine enough to dull the taste of distant pain. Weighty deliberations to calibrate inhumanities: a hundred children in the balance will not outweigh one offended sovereign honour. A joyful smile, a playful tilt of the head, a world imagined thousandfold – lost. See, I make this world – its indifference its cruelty – its beauty and its love, all things – He bears the weight of grief, follows the salt-map of every tear to hallowed places where stories were lost and ash dispersed and bones lie unmarked, unnoticed by man. He leans to inscribe their names. They live new - Tom Ravetz We have two online events coming up: a talk on Art and the Threshold and a seminar on the Prologue of John. For more details and to book, please see this post This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Contemplations on the weekly gospel readings in The Christian Community in poetic form. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Weekly contemplations on the gospel readings of The Christian Community in poetic form. The music is by Peter Heathfield, played by Michael Bracewell. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Weekly contemplations on the gospel readings of The Christian Community in poetic form. The music is by Peter Heathfield, played by Michael Bracewell. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Weekly contemplations on the gospel readings of The Christian Community in poetic form. This week is the first week of Michaelmas, and the reading is from Matthew 22. The music is by Peter Heathfield, played by Michael Bracewell. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Weekly contemplations on the gospel readings of The Christian Community in poetic form. This week is the first week of Michaelmas, and the reading is from Matthew 22. The music is by Peter Heathfield, played by Michael Bracewell. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

In The Christian Community we read a series of ten gospel passages in the time between St John’s and Michaelmas. While drawn from different Gospels and not chronological, these readings outline a progression—a path. I set myself the task of writing ten poems that would trace the path of the disciples as a central motif, seeking its resonance in each passage.To frame this journey, I set myself a formal challenge: the crown or corona form. John Donne masterfully employed this form in his Holy Sonnets, a collection I've been living with for over forty years. While my poetic capacities don't stretch to writing blank verse sonnets—and even if they did, it probably wouldn't be my chosen medium for a contemporary audience—the core idea of linking lines resonated with me. In this form, the very first line of the entire cycle functions as the last line of the cycle, and each subsequent poem begins with the final line of the one before it. This structure beautifully embodies the spiritual path: it combines the forward momentum of a path with a destination with the cyclical nature of repeated circling. We pass through the same stages, but each time with deeper wisdom and experience.The corona form demands intense focus on each individual poem, while always considering its place within the larger series. This process of composition itself mirrored the path I was trying to describe: I needed to revisit and rewrite earlier parts again and again, illuminating them in the light of later discoveries. It also contained some genuine surprises, as images developed seemingly with a logic of their own. This is the final poem in the cycle, and we will publish a revised version of the entire cycle soon. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

In The Christian Community we read a series of ten gospel passages in the time between St John’s and Michaelmas. While drawn from different Gospels and not chronological, these readings outline a progression—a path. I set myself the task of writing ten poems that would trace the path of the disciples as a central motif, seeking its resonance in each passage.To frame this journey, I set myself a formal challenge: the crown or corona form. John Donne masterfully employed this form in his Holy Sonnets, a collection I've been living with for over forty years. While my poetic capacities don't stretch to writing blank verse sonnets—and even if they did, it probably wouldn't be my chosen medium for a contemporary audience—the core idea of linking lines resonated with me. In this form, the very first line of the entire cycle functions as the last line of the cycle, and each subsequent poem begins with the final line of the one before it. This structure beautifully embodies the spiritual path: it combines the forward momentum of a path with a destination with the cyclical nature of repeated circling. We pass through the same stages, but each time with deeper wisdom and experience.The corona form demands intense focus on each individual poem, while always considering its place within the larger series. This process of composition itself mirrored the path I was trying to describe: I needed to revisit and rewrite earlier parts again and again, illuminating them in the light of later discoveries. It also contained some genuine surprises, as images developed seemingly with a logic of their own. All the poems have been brought to near-completion, but I am looking forward to refining them as the weeks go by. A lot happens after a poem has been published! This is the seventh in the series. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

In The Christian Community we read a series of ten gospel passages in the time between St John’s and Michaelmas. While drawn from different Gospels and not chronological, these readings outline a progression—a path. I set myself the task of writing ten poems that would trace the path of the disciples as a central motif, seeking its resonance in each passage.To frame this journey, I set myself a formal challenge: the crown or corona form. John Donne masterfully employed this form in his Holy Sonnets, a collection I've been living with for over forty years. While my poetic capacities don't stretch to writing blank verse sonnets—and even if they did, it probably wouldn't be my chosen medium for a contemporary audience—the core idea of linking lines resonated with me. In this form, the very first line of the entire cycle functions as the last line of the cycle, and each subsequent poem begins with the final line of the one before it. This structure beautifully embodies the spiritual path: it combines the forward momentum of a path with a destination with the cyclical nature of repeated circling. We pass through the same stages, but each time with deeper wisdom and experience.The corona form demands intense focus on each individual poem, while always considering its place within the larger series. This process of composition itself mirrored the path I was trying to describe: I needed to revisit and rewrite earlier parts again and again, illuminating them in the light of later discoveries. It also contained some genuine surprises, as images developed seemingly with a logic of their own. All the poems have been brought to near-completion, but I am looking forward to refining them as the weeks go by. A lot happens after a poem has been published! This is the seventh in the series. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

In The Christian Community we read a series of ten gospel passages in the time between St John’s and Michaelmas. While drawn from different Gospels and not chronological, these readings outline a progression—a path. I set myself the task of writing ten poems that would trace the path of the disciples as a central motif, seeking its resonance in each passage.To frame this journey, I set myself a formal challenge: the crown or corona form. John Donne masterfully employed this form in his Holy Sonnets, a collection I've been living with for over forty years. While my poetic capacities don't stretch to writing blank verse sonnets—and even if they did, it probably wouldn't be my chosen medium for a contemporary audience—the core idea of linking lines resonated with me. In this form, the very first line of the entire cycle functions as the last line of the cycle, and each subsequent poem begins with the final line of the one before it. This structure beautifully embodies the spiritual path: it combines the forward momentum of a path with a destination with the cyclical nature of repeated circling. We pass through the same stages, but each time with deeper wisdom and experience.The corona form demands intense focus on each individual poem, while always considering its place within the larger series. This process of composition itself mirrored the path I was trying to describe: I needed to revisit and rewrite earlier parts again and again, illuminating them in the light of later discoveries. It also contained some genuine surprises, as images developed seemingly with a logic of their own. All the poems have been brought to near-completion, but I am looking forward to refining them as the weeks go by. A lot happens after a poem has been published! This is the seventh in the series. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

A spiral of poemsIn The Christian Community we read a series of ten gospel passages in the time between St John’s and Michaelmas. While drawn from different Gospels and not chronological, these readings outline a progression—a path. I set myself the task of writing ten poems that would trace the path of the disciples as a central motif, seeking its resonance in each passage.To frame this journey, I set myself a formal challenge: the crown or corona form. John Donne masterfully employed this form in his Holy Sonnets, a collection I've been living with for over forty years. While my poetic capacities don't stretch to writing blank verse sonnets—and even if they did, it probably wouldn't be my chosen medium for a contemporary audience—the core idea of linking lines resonated with me.In this form, the very first line of the entire cycle functions as the last line of the cycle, and each subsequent poem begins with the final line of the one before it. This structure beautifully embodies the spiritual path: it combines the forward momentum of a path with a destination with the cyclical nature of repeated circling. We pass through the same stages, but each time with deeper wisdom and experience.The corona form demands intense focus on each individual poem, while always considering its place within the larger series. This process of composition itself mirrored the path I was trying to describe: I needed to revisit and rewrite earlier parts again and again, illuminating them in the light of later discoveries. It also contained some genuine surprises, as images developed seemingly with a logic of their own.All the poems have been brought to near-completion, but I am looking forward to refining them as the weeks go by. A lot happens after a poem has been published! Once the full cycle is complete, I will make the whole cycle available via the Perspectives Substack. More details about this will follow.We are planning a series of webinars, starting on Sunday, 21st September.You’ll find more details and instructions about how to sign up here.Background picture: Magic Square, Deborah Ravetz. See Deborah’s website here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

The crowd – a TempleFourth in the series A spiral of poemsIn The Christian Community we read a series of ten gospel passages in the time between St John’s and Michaelmas. While drawn from different Gospels and not chronological, these readings outline a progression—a path. I set myself the task of writing ten poems that would trace the path of the disciples as a central motif, seeking its resonance in each passage.To frame this journey, I set myself a formal challenge: the crown or corona form. John Donne masterfully employed this form in his Holy Sonnets, a collection I've been living with for over forty years. While my poetic capacities don't stretch to writing blank verse sonnets—and even if they did, it probably wouldn't be my chosen medium for a contemporary audience—the core idea of linking lines resonated with me.In this form, the very first line of the entire cycle functions as the last line of the cycle, and each subsequent poem begins with the final line of the one before it. This structure beautifully embodies the spiritual path: it combines the forward momentum of a path with a destination with the cyclical nature of repeated circling. We pass through the same stages, but each time with deeper wisdom and experience.The corona form demands intense focus on each individual poem, while always considering its place within the larger series. This process of composition itself mirrored the path I was trying to describe: I needed to revisit and rewrite earlier parts again and again, illuminating them in the light of later discoveries. It also contained some genuine surprises, as images developed seemingly with a logic of their own.All the poems have been brought to near-completion, but I am looking forward to refining them as the weeks go by. A lot happens after a poem has been published! Once the full cycle is complete, I will make the whole cycle available via the Perspectives Substack. More details about this will follow.Background picture: Life beyond the Grey, Deborah Ravetz. See Deborah’s website here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to the Perspectives Magazine podcast, where we publish contemplations on the gospel readings of the week as poems.This week’s poem is part of a series of ten inspired by the gospel readings between St John’s Tide and Michaelmas. While drawn from different Gospels and not chronological, these readings outline a progression – a path. I set myself the task of writing ten poems that would trace the path of the disciples as a central motif, seeking its resonance in each passage.To frame this journey, I set myself a formal challenge: the crown or corona form. In this form, the very first line of the entire cycle functions as the last line of the cycle, and each subsequent poem begins with the final line of the one before it. This structure beautifully embodies the spiritual path: it combines the forward momentum of a path with a destination with the cyclical nature of repeated circling. We pass through the same stages, but each time with deeper wisdom and experience.The corona form demands intense focus on each individual poem, while always considering its place within the larger series. This process of composition itself mirrored the path I was trying to describe: I needed to revisit and rewrite earlier parts again and again, illuminating them in the light of later discoveries. It also contained some genuine surprises, as images developed seemingly with a logic of their own. All the poems have been brought to near-completion, but I am looking forward to refining them as the weeks go by. A lot happens after a poem has been published! Once the full cycle is complete, I will make the whole cycle available via the Perspectives Substack. More details about this will follow.  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

Third poem in the cycle of ten from St John’s to Michaelmas, called The Path. The full series will be made available for paid subscribers at the end of September. You can see the previous episodes on our website. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

This week’s poem is part of a series of 10 inspired by the gospel readings between St John’s Tide and Michaelmas. For more details about the form of the poems, please see the post from 27th July, ‘The Question’ This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

This podcast offers a weekly contemplation on the gospel reading of the week in the form of a poem. With this episode, we are embarking on a new poetic journey: a series of ten poems tracing the disciples' path through the gospel passages that we read annually between St. John's Tide and Michaelmas in The Christian Community. Drawing inspiration from John Donne's "Holy Sonnets," the poet employs a "corona" form, where each poem begins with the last line of the preceding one, and the cycle's first line concludes the final poem. This structure mirrors the spiritual path's forward momentum and cyclical deepening. The complete cycle will be shared on the Perspectives Substack once all ten have been published. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

A fateful dance, and two heads lost. Herod, an old man,seeking solace in youth’s allures,blurred the line between desire and rule. He vowed a gift,and gave away himself.John meanwhile, was in his cell far from the feast, for saying out loud, what all suppressed:No man—not king nor common fool—may grasp what burnsto have,and in the seizing consumes.And now the dread climaxof the sensuous dance’s sway: the blood uncoiling, the head upon a tray.In far-off Galilee, Jesus,seeing dark clouds,foreshadowing his fate,offered words whichpoured hope, like oil,on jagged wounds of griefto John’s disciples now scattered,their head struck down.To strengthen hope, he shared his breadin a different kind of feast.No numb of excess,Just a crumb for eachto savour:it was enough.And afterwards, he walked between two shores, where lust and death and bloodhad churned the sea to rage.The boat is foundering;he comes to us:the master of the storm. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe

I knew a man;he stood like a mountainhis voice was like thunderthe plates of the continentstrembled at his will.A will whose roots laydeep beneath mountains—too deep for himselfor anyone elseto plumb.I knew a man;he was my senior;he hurt me gravely,and when at last—feeling the such painthat respect could no longerhold back my tongue,I shouted my insult loud, to his face–I saw a shadowpass over his features,as he rememberedour places.And then,having paused,he spoke, to himselfmore than me,and said, No, I must hear it.Tell metell me all that you suffered.I knew a man;he stood like a mountain,his greatness increasedbecause of that moment,because of that pause.I knew a man,I loved him dearly.Later, when lifebrought me challenges,a burden of officesimilar to his,I understood betterhis burdens and struggles;understood my partin the story that bound us.We made a planto speak in the autumn.I wanted to ownmy part in our story.Wanted to ask himto be my mentor and friend.Instead, in the summer,I sat in a chapel,his colleague at last,silently mourning.It was his funeral.I know a man;he was like a mountain.I think of him nightly,I love him greatly.Whenever fear drives meto forget my humanityI think of that moment,when greatness gatheredin a singular silence,a readiness to listen;to be changed by a word. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit perspectivesmagazine.substack.com/subscribe