B.P. Shields
B.P. Shields is a poet and a novelist. His novels re-tell famous stories from some parts of the world that you may have never heard of, and his poetry is varied and award winning.
Since visiting China over a decade ago, B.P. Shields has been fascinated by China and its culture. Through his writing, he brings to life some significant moments from China’s rich history, such as the Fall of the Han Empire or the Battle of Red Cliffs, and also one emperor’s love for reputedly one of the most beautiful Chinese women ever.
His poetry ranges from the light-hearted to the philosophical, with something for everyone. The titles alone of some of his most recent poems should give you an idea of how ecletic his style is: Fish and Chips, Unlucky for Some, Cleopatra, Song of the Senses and Full Moon.
Find out more about B.P. Shields
A Recent Poem
Does a mountain imagine?
Is it aware of its majesty?
Does a volcano feel pain
As its entrails spill down its slope;
Or pleasure as it ejaculates
Magma into the seething air?
The Ancients thought so, and sought
To temper its moods with oblations.
But we know better in this age
Of artificial intelligence.
The inanimate does not think.
An algorithm is an artifice,
A set of electric switches.
It’s no match for the human brain,
Where countless electric pulses
Create both our thoughts and feelings.
So no comparison there.
And, of course, the Earth can’t display
Anger at our human actions.
Can it?
