Last Poems Before Heart Failure

by Todd Swift

Overview

Christmas 2021, Todd Swift was in ICU, close to death. His heart had failed and was operating at less than 20%. Now, in early 2022, he continues to be treated at the Royal Free Hampstead for this serious health challenge. He also has a blood clot on his heart.

With a cover design by artist Edwin Smet, here are a selection of new poems, published as a fundraiser for Todd, who cannot currently work, as he waits for his implant device procedure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781915406026
Publisher:	Maida Vale
Publication date:	08/31/2022
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	5.22(w) x 7.84(h) x 0.14(d)

About the Author

Todd Swift was born in Montreal, Quebec on Good Friday in 1966. He now lives in London, UK. Author of over twenty collections of poetry including Spring In Name Only and Opening Hours and written over 100 hours of television, including for Paramount, the CBC, Fox, CINAR, Disney, and HBO - and was the series editor for anime cult classic Sailor Moon. Professor Mark Ford of UCL has called him 'the Orson Welles of contemporary poetry'.

Table of Contents

Preface 6

The Dig 11

Canadian Thanksgiving 2021 14

Who Cares Who the Next James Bond Will Be? 17

New Autumn Poem 18

Two July Poems 19

July 19th 21

For G. Hill 25

Poem 3.1 26

The Steamship 27

The Book 28

New November 29

Spill Rhine 30

For the Unshortlisted 31

On Arriving 32

Handsome Man in Autumn 33

The Problem for an Atheist 34

Love's Mad When It's All Good. 35

Progress 36

Poem as Simple as Bread 37

Homeric 38

Michael Longley 39

I Cast a Poem on the Water 40

Freedom 41

I Now Know 42

When I Took from My Neighbour 44

Sometimes I Am Other Times 45

Cirque 46

Poem as Novel 47

Poem as Syrup 48

Unbearable, Bear it Like a Tree 49

Imperial Bedrooms 50

Poem as Convocation 51

I Wake Up 52

The Edge of the Forest 53

Anyone Else 54

I See Now the Way Is To 55

Here We Go Again Is Too Glum, 57

If I Say I Am Scared I Lie, Scar 58

When I Say I Am Having a Tough Time 59

My Life's Not Difficult 60

Untitled 61

October 2021 62

Listening to Fleet Foxes Sing 63

Poet's Biography 64