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> Introduction
> Poems about Exeter
> Zines to download & print
> Casey Garfield's Bardic Manifesto
Hi! My name is Casey Garfield, I'm an Exeter poet, and I'd really like to be the Bard of Exeter.
Exeter is one of the only cities with the ancient right to appoint a Bard to represent the land and its people, with each bard holding the title for a year and a day. Who holds the title is decided by public vote at the Bardic Contest, and in 2026, that's taking place on Friday 29th May at Exeter Library.
I've been writing a lot of poems inspired by this wonderful city for a while, and to get the word out that Casey Garfield would like to be the Bard of Exeter one day please, I've spent the last year collecting some of my Exeter poems into mini zines that I've been giving away for free at local poetry events and at Bookbag, Exeter's indie bookshop.
I want these zines to be as accessible as possible, so I'm publishing the poems on my website, hosting the files for you to print your own copies of the zine if you'd like, and sharing my bardic manifesto for anyone who's interested in what I'd intend to do during my time as bard, should the people of Exeter want me in the role!
Exeter City of Literature and the current bard, Kev Payne, will be announcing more details about this year's Bardic Contest on Monday 11th May. I've got my fingers crossed I'll be chosen as one of the participants, and if you like my poems and manifesto, I hope you might consider attending and voting for me! And of course, if you don't like me or my poems, please do attend anyway and vote for the person you think would make a better bard!
Everything's on this one page, so feel free to scroll down and start reading! But if you'd like to jump to a particular poem, use the contents bar below to be taken straight to the poem of your choice:
> I Wanna Be Your Bard (after John Cooper Clarke)
> Falling in love at St Nicholas Priory
More poems being uploaded soon!
I Wanna Be Your Bard
After John Cooper Clarke's 'I Wanna Be Yours'
My postie is a poet
teaching me your history,
helped me see riddles reflected
in a high street Christmas tree/
Where else could you get that?
Send your answers on a card.
You made me love you Exeter,
now I wanna be your bard
I’m warmed in your old firehouse
unshackled by your quay.
Nowhere else has ever managed
to make me care about rugby.
But everything is different here
in my five starred yard,
you made me love you Exeter.
I wanna be your bard.
When buses dropped off bullies
from afar to march about,
and spit cruel little threats
about the people they want out,
you outnumbered them ten to one
to say Exeter’s for everyone.
We shout loud, we care hard,
oh Exeter, I wanna be your bard.
I don’t know if I’m smart enough
and I’ve got no fashion sense,
but you’ve always been so kind to me,
you deserve recompense.
I may not know if there’s a difference
between an avenue and boulevard
but I know where I stand on your fine streets
and I wanna be your bard.
Take me to your Christmas market,
I will fill your stocking up,
your cathedral coffee cart it
fills my heart and coffee cup.
This love won’t need a rain check, don’t fear,
you even make the weather here!
The met office lives on Fitzroy Road,
I’ll walk you there from my abode,
you’ll need their satellites just to regard
how massively I wanna be your bard.
I may not have always been here,
but just like the house that moved,
I’ve been relocated and repaired
and my life has so improved.
I thought being from Norfolk
I just wasn’t used to hills,
but it’s you that took my breath away
your people give me chills.
I hope it’s clear I mean the good way!
You fill me with such glee,
and as my way of saying thank you,
you know what I wanna be?
Your neighbour. Plain and simple.
I don’t need more to be true.
But if you want me as your bard,
I’ll write you loads more poems too.
Falling in love at St Nicholas Priory, est. 1087
Walk softly.
Plenty is broken
and plenty more will follow.
Still though,
what good is a museum
with nothing alive inside
to hear the birdsong
in the medicine gardens
This page is a work in progress - please check back soon for more poems and for my bardic manifesto, or head down to Bookbag at Mccoy's Arcade on Fore Street to pick up a copy of Casey Garfield would like to be the Bard of Exeter one day please Volume 2!