B.J. Edwards's Blog, page 6
November 21, 2016
Poems explained
As you may or may not know, I have a new book release. This post isn’t necessarily a plug, but it is in many ways an answer to a question I am asked fairly regularly. The question is, “What are your poems about?” in response to that I often talk about the themes the poems can be roughly put into, but this isn’t enormously helpful. So, I thought I would list the contents of the book, Tesserae, available in paperback and E-book, and include a brief outline of each poem. That way you can make up your own mind what they are about. If you find at least 3 poems attractive, interesting or intriguing, I would strongly urge you to consider visiting Amazon and buying a copy.
http://www.bjedwards.co.uk
Twitter @Meddryn
The Struggle
A poem about writer’s block.
Creation
A poem about writing and the act of creating.
Storyteller
A poem about the magic of children’s’ stories.
Matchmaker
About the shallowness of attraction.
Society
About the constraints society puts on our souls.
Little Girl Lost And Found
About recovery and the ability to write your own happy ending.
Rapture
The power of nature and love. Sex and the elements.
Them
About death and hope.
Id’s Drum
About the evolution and devolution of society and culture.
Reaching Out
About the pressure of life and how hope can change perception.
Moving On
Hope after death.
Sir Sellis And The Dragon
A mock epic nonsense poem about King Arthur and a dragon.
Mother’s Lament
Says what it is on the tin!
Living
Someone is always worse off than me…
Honour
Patriotism started thousands of years ago… this is about fighting on.
Recruits
World War II, eagerness soon turns into terror.
Warrior
An old man in a nursing home is more than just a shadow. He has a story.
Soldiers
The same war but different weapons. This time Iraq.
Longing
The sadness of letting go.
Leaf And Link
Magic comes unexpectedly and hope sprouts from an unusual source.
Delirium
A delirious poem about what happens when the lights are switched off.
Man’s Curse
Men are cursed by their role. This discusses.
Days
About the past and spirituality.
Dreams
A poem about… yep, dreams!
Parting
This is about saying goodbye.
Sanctuary
Finding peace in nature.
Connections
About anthropology and the fact we are all so genetically linked.
Into The Green
What or who is in the depths of the woods?
Fire Dance
About the ritual of death.
Sin
What is sin?
Nightmare
About a nightmare.
Echoes
About a lost love and youth.
One
About making love.
Her
About something that can never be.
Words
About the importance of words and expression.
Letter
A historical love poem.
Passion
About making love.
Kisses
About frogs!
Fairytale Prince
About just that!
Hand fasting
About the ceremony of joining.
Autumn Dusk
You can guess what this is about!
Man And Woman
Unrequited and tragic love.
Heavy Coin
What happens after death?
Dark
A poem about depression.
Age
The sadness of getting old and forgetting.
Deliverance
Magical realism in poverty.
Woollen Words
About the inability to express oneself.
By The Thames
About a spot in Richmond.
The Old Oak
Superstition, belief and an old tree.
Rhapsody
Wasted love.
The Lonely And The Brave
About loneliness and loss.
Losing
The drama of being second best.
Beneath The Surface
About a sea monster.
Catch The Thought
About thoughts and where they go.
Worms
About managing memories.
The Fool And The Moon
About a court jester trying to find the moon, home and death.
Lazy Thoughts
About ignorance and prejudice
River And Sky
About the sanctity of the unattainable.
Together We are Brighter
About partnership.
Birds
About dusk,.
Forty
About turning forty.
Memories
About the danger and blessing of remembering.
Glimpses Of Childhood
About growing-up.
October 14, 2016
Oh dear Dylan!
Those fine and noble people who pick the winner of the Nobel prize for literature are not stupid for awarding Bob Dylan the accolade, they are short-sighted and predictable. They had an opportunity to introduce the blinkered Western, English reading world to a talent who doesn’t write in English. Maybe a European writer or poet, maybe somebody from the exotic East; a chance to catapult somebody fresh into our consciousness. But no – we have Bob Dylan. Now, I’m not going to comment upon the validity of his lyrics, whether or not they are poetry, but I do think awarding a songwriter sets a rather dodgy president. What I will say is how dull, and boring the choice is. Everyone knows who Dylan is, even if they don’t like his songs or lack of vocal ability. He doesn’t need to win a literary prize, but plenty of people do. I care little for his music, not because of snobbery, but because of personal taste. I just feel sorry for those many writers who struggle to make a living. Those who write beautiful, spirited words. The Nobel prize should have gone to somebody we don’t know, somebody fresh and new, not an aging hippy who doesn’t need the publicity, notoriety or pride.
