It is Arachne poet Jane Aldous’ birthday today. She is seventy, and to celebrate she has spent the last year writing 70 poems. We will be publishing these next year, on International Women’s Day, 8th March.

To get you in the mood here is Jane’s ‘birth announcement’ poem from her debut collection, Let Out the Djinn.

Telegram from Doris Court Nursing Home

Greetings!
Here she is your chick, your slick of blood, skin, bone.
Here they are, your ma and pa, they’re terrified,
she’s sore, he thinks he’s going to drop you.
Congratulations.
Love, Min and Avis.
Stop.

Happy Birthday, Jane!