This is Episode 110 of Poems for the Speed of Life.

Today's poem is "Japanese Maple", by Clive James.

Clive James was an Australian broadcaster, journalist and writer who died at the age of 80 in 2019. He will be familiar to many for his UK television appears in the 1980s and 90s on popular shows such as Clive James on Television and Saturday Night Clive and several “Postcard From” travel shows.

He published nine collections of poetry in his lifetime, and experienced a new esteem for his poetry in his last years — two acclaimed collections Sentenced to Life and Injury Time were published in the last four years of his life.

"Japanese Maple" is one of those poems, a deeply poignant piece about a gift of a tree from his daughter and his own experience of life slipping away.

You can read the poem here.

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For a detailed outline of the mission and purpose behind this podcast, please check out Episode 100, "Why Poems for the Speed of Life?", in your podcast player or ⁠click here to listen on Spotify⁠.

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Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com