Editor’s note by Max Wallis

In Lay my head on fleeces, Di Slaney writes with tenderness and precision about the body’s vulnerability and the quiet mercy of animals. The poem leans into wool as refuge… both physical and emotional; a place where time slows and care is instinctive. It is how we ground ourselves when the body might not. How those around us can offer us the care, even if they might be animals, to keep going. The first of three poems by Di which I’ll be sharing in coming days.

Di Slaney lives in Nottinghamshire where she runs livestock sanctuary Manor Farm Charitable Trust and independent publisher Candlestick Press. She was the winner of The Plough Poetry Prize 2022. Her poems have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and widely published; her collections are available from Valley Press.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aftershockpoetry.substack.com/subscribe