the cycle diaries

The Cycle Diaries

‘Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.’ ~ William Wordsworth

‘May 2019, I returned to my native Dartmoor. I was nearing forty, felt like a total failure and considered the world in general to be both banal and depressing. Spending time around nature helped alleviate a sense of despair, which I found rather curious. I began exploring various woodland trails, first by foot and then by mountain bike. This evolved into the idea of writing an existential poem aiming to capture moments of authentic being, unearthed via an experience of unbridled joy in the midst of Dartmoor’s mysterious landscape. Each canto represents a ride written on location that I typed up when I got home. I allowed myself to correct certain errors for clarification, but otherwise each canto (or ride) is written as it was in my notebook. I liken the method and presentation of The Cycle Diaries to Jack Kerouac’s Mexico City Blues though I consider the overall aim to be quite different.’ ~ Percival Alexander

I will be serialising excerpts on Substack; please check back later for more details.