An Evening with Harry Baker!

This year has seen a great many firsts for me; it’s just about a year since I led my first ceremony, I have adjusted to and am relishing my first experience of part-time work and loved my first (since maternity leave) chance to holiday outside term time.  It is also just about a year since I discovered the work of Harry Baker, a poet from Margate. As an Independent Celebrant, I am lucky enough to be able to include readings from whatever sources are right for my clients and am always on the look out for new poems that might fit a particular ceremony. It was his poem ‘Dust’ that first caught my attention and I was delighted to be able to suggest it to A&M when they asked me for a reading that spoke of the everyday nature of profound love for their Family Blessing last August.  The opening line, “It’s not the flowers; it’s the weeding in the mud with you” is stunning and others including, “It’s not the spark when we first met; it is the lifetime built around it” and “Such is the magnificence of loving you” move me to tears every time I hear them.

The full collection - Harry Baker

Last night was another first for me; my first live evening of poetry - Harry’s poetry; and what an evening!  It was at Leicester’s oldest theatre - The Y Theatre, on a glorious summer evening and I went with my better half and our oldest friends; perfect.  The programme was varied with everything from the entertaining “Wellies” to the inspirational “Wonderful”.  It included, “An Ode to Postcodes”, surely an already unique subject matter for a poem made all the more exclusive by its brief to “make postcodes sexy while also reflecting the glory of God”!  Incidentally this was my husband’s favourite of the night?! I especially resonated with his declaration that the love of friends is, in its own way, as powerful, profound and transformative as romantic love and might just have a go at writing my own ode to friendship. 

Sunflowers!

As a funeral celebrant I couldn’t help but be moved by “Sunflowers” which, as he explained last night, was written after Harry attended the funerals of his wife’s grandparents and this led him to reflect on his own funeral.  It’s a poem to make one smile, 

 “At my funeral

I’d like there to be sunflowers.

A truly inconvenient amount.”

Yet contains a truth that is painfully profound,

“And if anybody says

I have gone to a better place,

That is a kind

And very well-intentioned lie.

For there can be no better place

Than in a room with all my friends.

Just promise we’ll do this again 

The other side.

Side note: let’s also do this

loads before we die.”

I was interested that this experience made him reflect that we should try to think about our own deaths more and should hold conversations with people about the end of life.  This, of course, is the intention of the Death Cafe movement and I am currently looking forward to facilitating the second Death Cafe in my community later this month.  I did think about inviting Harry but appreciate, Leicester is a long way from Margate!  If it wasn’t so far, I have every confidence that he’d come, such is his connection to other people.  Generous with his thanks to, and time with, his audience he was exceptionally tolerant of this old lady’s excitement at meeting him!

Thank you Harry for a wonderful evening, for opening my mind to live poetry in general and for yours in particular. I reckon the next book - based around the poems Harry wrote every day for the first 100 days of his son’s life - might prove appropriate for a Naming Ceremony or two going forward!

Harry's poems can be found in the following publications 'The Sunshine Kid', 'Unashamed' and 'Wonderful' - each one is glorious and can be purchased here. His new book, 'Tender' will be available in March 2026 and is available for pre-order here. Treat yourself or someone you love to one or more.

By Catrina Young, Leicestershire Heart-led celebrant, Marking Life’s Moments.

© Hardingstone Ceremonies, July, 2025