Tarn MacArthur

@tarnnation

Poems in: London Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement, New Statesman, The New Republic, Poetry Review, & Poetry London.

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Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· 5d

Ma’a Nonu, one of the greatest All Blacks of all time just faced off against his own nation at 44 years old returning the call with a solo Haka. (He’s also a vegetarian 🌱 )

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jul 15

From Linda Bierds collection The Ghost Trio, still one of my all time favourites.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jul 5

Ok 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 we get it, you’ll turn anything into a flagpole.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jun 21

Happy solstice!

Poem from the TLS.

Climbing to Seefin Passage Tomb on Summer Solstice

i.m. John Burnside

No one knows what calls us, days like this
that seem to stretch all sense of reason:
the hillside scrub abuzz with silver-washed

and dark green fritillary, the red grouse
and hare, a lone buzzard counterpoised
on the breeze overhead, near motionless,

weighing the balance of each warm
and distant heartbeat. And who would
claim the old gods dead when the sudden

cadence of your breath slips to the sound
of something pulsing through from the far side
of the ridge, neither ghost nor glossolalia

but wholly of the earth, like the hum
that guided you through summer nights
in childhood when you found yourself alone,

and a field too far from home, as the light
began to fade. Sometimes what we love
is the incongruity of things: the latent sense

of having been here yet having never been
before, that strangely familiar clutch of stones,
how every shadow beckons with a promise

of safekeeping. If, as someone said,
it’s true that the souls to match our souls
lie patiently in wait to take our places

when we step aside, then we should lower
our sights from the brilliance of the sky
and down towards this aperture of darkness.

To enter the tomb is to enter the one world
we know, the cool walls of the passage
summoning us forth with the chance hope

of an earthly meeting. Alone, you are
not alone, the carved stone appears to say.
Nothing is eternal, and everything remains.

Tarn MacArthur’s poems have appeared in the Poetry Review, New Statesman, the New Republic and Poetry London

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· May 13

Found it on the grid! :)

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Mar 24

My PIC! Long road to this moment. Buzzing for her! www.faber.co.uk/journal/fabe...

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Mar 7

Omen? Saltire above Murrayfield!

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Feb 14

Three metres?

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Feb 14

Dinnae matter!

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jan 23

Absolutely butchered this.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jan 8

Good afternoon from Skye.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jan 5

Mick Imlah on the great Gordon Brown.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Dec 31

Tomorrow marks 12 years since my father’s sudden death. A lot of my work has been influenced by that loss, but this poem perhaps addresses the daily feeling of it most directly. Happy New Year!

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Sep 20

Thank you to Stephen Sexton and @poetryireland.bsky.social for publishing this itinerary poem.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Aug 23

Good morning from Montreal and my mother’s balcony.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Aug 2

Headed for Tiree to see the fam!

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jul 31

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jul 25

2018 Calcutta Cup just for the pure joy on his face.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jul 21

The first 5 authors:

Picture of 5 Batis Press authors, Antjie Krog, Athambile Masola, CJ Driver, Cynthia Fan, and Pravasan Pillay.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jun 21

Happy summer solstice. A poem of mine born on this day one year ago, in memory of my mentor, John Burnside.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Jun 21

A stunning poem from Garrett Hongo’s new collection, Ocean of Clouds. 🌊 ☁️

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· May 29

A year ago today the great poet and writer John Burnside passed away, leaving a monumental gap in the world of Scottish literature and literature more generally. Fortunately for us he has a posthumous collection coming out this summer. 💙

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· May 16

Roo Borson, from Cardinal in the Eastern White Cedar.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· May 14

Poem from Karen Solie’s new book, Wellwater.

“Antelope”, a poem by Karen Solie from her new book Wellwater.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· May 9

Highly unsurprising, 3/5 (Graham, Jordan, White) biggest omissions are Scottish—they just don’t win 50/50 decisions when it comes to Lions selections, even if they’re statistically better and pass the eye test: theanalyst.com/2025/05/lion...

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Apr 28

New poem in @irishpages.bsky.social as part of the new Scottish poets selection edited by @niallpoetry.bsky.social Lots of good stuff in this issue too including work from friends @alycia.bsky.social @brambrella.bsky.social @taylor-strickland.bsky.social and more.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Apr 11

Is this the best poem on psychoanalysis? Hecht just knows how to do it. The Hard Hours is such a cracking collection, one of his finest.

Poem by Anthony Hecht: Behold the Lilies of the Field.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Apr 7

An older poem of mine, first appearing in the TLS Mick Imlah Poetry Prize selections.

Poem:

Water of Leith

Consider this blue heron slow-stepping
through the shadow of St Bernard’s Well
like a sleeper risen in a sleeping house
in the pitch of night. What I really want

is to feel so at home alone with myself
that when the half-light silvers a sequin
of fin and I pause to strike, all I can see
is water run clean beyond my reflection.

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Apr 3

New special issue of @irishpages.bsky.social with essays from major Scottish voices and a feature of new poets. Go get an issue!

Tarn MacArthur@tarnnation· Mar 4

The print version, with thanks to Camille Ralphs for publishing the poem in @thetls.bsky.social