V9 Review

Poem 1

Page 11 – Mental Hospital

This poet didn’t hold one word back. His language was as blunt as it was forthright and we shared his despair, frustration and ultimate helplessness. His short and sometimes unconnected lines compound his very relevant thoughts and he ends his stunning poem with ‘the purity of raw violence,’ followed by ‘how about some space and silence’. Phew!

Poem 2

Page 17 – Unconditional Love From 1943

Such poignant memories of shared times, the unconditional love and time that many can remember from being with their grandparents. These intimate and special moments open our hearts and we are able to acknowledge such a loss by Chloe’s beautiful, creative and evocative ‘snapshots’, especially the one treasured from 1943.

Poem 3

Page 20 – The Trapeze Artist

A great metaphor and a super, clever bit of writing to which we can all relate, especially as Autumn comes.

Poem 4

Page 26 - No Time To Say Goodbye

Spoken with a voice of deep faith, we assume, this beautiful poem shows a love lasting beyond our understanding and says more in its few words than a more elaborate poem could say.

Poem 5

Page 49 -Mother’s Funeral

A poem of delightful and apt contrasts. ‘The yellow rose….the black ribbon. The fragile mother…always strong. The flower blooms …and dies.’The poem ends with the beauty of a simple bunch of yellow roses linked to the pain of sharp thorns. A very special poem with much thoughtful depth.

Poem 6

Page 57 – Eavesdropping

Noticing random thoughts from the conversations of others, this poet’s mindful observation, resonates with us all. Concise and complete and a reminder of the whimsy, depth and delight of humanity.

Poem 7

Page 63 – Grief

What a powerful and raw poem. It certainly moved me to tears and will strike a chord with many readers of this volume of poems who have known such sadness.

Poem 8

Page 67 - The Beaufort Scale

Written with a knowledge and accuracy a reader has to admire, the poet puts this to good use in their unusual poem. We are taken on a climatic journey, a journey becoming increasingly relevant in this time of global warming, ending with a powerful shout out for our important Life boat crews.

Poem 9

Page 73 – In God’s House

Interesting that I reviewed the poems in V9 without knowing the work of the authors, and yet Valerie and I seem to ‘get’ each other’s voice! Here we have an acknowledgement which reminded me of John Betjeman’s style and subject matter. It is the smallest details which make it a poem to cherish, lilting and thoughtful, it should be placed in a frame and put by the door of every place of worship. A delight.

Poem 10

Page 84 – Painting by Numbers

We visit visual and colourful views in this poem and a noticeable ‘waymark’ stop at Morvah, puts our conjured awareness into context. A surprise, as someone is invited into our landscape, and we meet our poet/artist who becomes very, very mortal. Lovely.

V9 Ranking

1. Mental Hospital - Keith Woodhouse

2. Unconditional love from 1943 - Chloe Hall

3. The Trapeze Artist - Pam Turner

4. No time to say goodbye - Valerie Kaute

5. Mother's Funeral - Mary Fletcher

6. Eavesdropping - Sonja Fairchild

7. Grief - Robert Cardwell-Spencer

8. The Beaufort Scale - Res Burman

9. In God's House - Valerie Kaute

10 Painting by Numbers - Rob Kersley

Book of the Lived – V8-2023

Review of book

Our poets hold a mirror up to the many faces of humanity, they write poems which reflect every human emotion, it is a collection to hold in your hand and to accept difference.

Comments on poems

1st.

Page 37- I Hide Behind My Smile-Sabina Begum

Such a stunning poem, it has weight and gravitas. The poet claims she wears a mask, the face she puts on for the world, she hides behind her smile. To me she looks a winner, with or without that mask.

2nd.

Page 46- Mariupol Mother-Rob Kersley

A well-presented, interesting and heartfelt poem with a haunting message, hard to ignore and easy to acknowledge.

3rd.

Page 81.The Meaning - Of Love-Ayesha Chowdhury

I was hooked by the title-who doesn’t want to know more about this bold statement? A poem of two parts certainly, this poet tells us in such a heart-warming way, exactly the meaning of love.

4th.

Page 51-Covid Mortality-David Harley

The clever format of this poem takes you right back to a time we can’t forget how ever unreal it may seem now. It lays bare the thoughts and feelings of the poet at that time in a really engaging way. Wonderful.

5th.

Page 18-Morgawr-John Cynddylon

Curiosity alone may draw the uninitiated to this well told poem. We want to hear more and the poet tells us in simple accessible language. I can see this poem as a one of a series of picture books about the many myths of Cornwall, for brave children.

6th.

Page 22-Fire And Air-T.M. Warren

Short but oh so sweet! Fire and Air provides a perfect escape and transports us to lost love and summer days. Such a lot said in so few words. Very engaging.

7th.

Page 84- An Admirer Makes You A Lover- Ayesha Chowdhury

In this poem Ayesha helps to map out a recipe for survival and lessons in life, adding that if you accept the right help in whatever form, it can lead you to success and also maybe lifelong love. Wise words.

8th.

Page 25-Get Me Down -Rashma Mehta

The repetitive hypnotic form this poet adopts speaks like a mantra for survival and many readers will identify with much of it. It paints a picture of humanity at its lowest but has the ability to guild this picture with the strength of the last two lines.

9th

Page 59-Transition-Libby Pentreath

The poet acknowledges how puberty can be a massive transition for some children and for good or ill, growing up can be a hard place. Her perception and understanding should be placed in handbooks for parents in every primary school.

10th

Page 24- Growing Pains-Paul Crump

This poet takes us back to lockdown times and reminds us of the importance of our outdoor spaces. He notices all the details with great observational humour, not only in the present but also in the past. The poet draws threads of language for us and ‘grounds’ us in his own thoughts and experiences.

In conclusion

I seem to have chosen a few poems which speak of hope. The therapeutic effects of writing have long been acknowledged in some circles but it is only lately, with the mental health crisis, that this simple device is being fully recognised. Many poems show how the use of positive language reaps its own rewards. Thank you Mayar for giving us such a rich and varied collection.

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