Staying Alive

This book is one of the best poetry collections that I have read ever. The editor Neil Astley in his introduction states he wanted to bring together poetry which “speaks to us with the same unnerving power now as when we first cam across them”.

This book includes some of the best poems by the great poets of recent history like Yeats, Frost, Kavanagh, Heaney, Auden etc. but also includes works which english speakers will not know such as the translated works of Polish, Hungarian and Sweedish poets.

This is an excellent book for both beginners (especially IMO) and for those who enjoy poetry – you have wonderful mix of known and unknown contemporary poets, divided into sections such as “War and Peace”. Neil Astley didn’t just pick wonderful poems but laid them out juxtaposing opposite tones of the same theme side by side.

On a personal note one of my favourites of the collection is an anonymous poem (although many seem to be linked to it) – Do Not Stand at my Grace and Weep.

Ba-Dum; Ba-Dum

Today I wrote a lot of lines as part
of Mister Fry’s Iambic exercise.

I have to say it is so hard to know
if one is counting sufficiently well.

No rhyme or reason needed so this time
I only have to keep the five ba-dums

Therefore, my goal this week shall be to write
some lines a day to practice my poetry

Unseen

High, above me I see,

Widespread with dignity,

Unseen you touch their glorious wings

Unseen you remain to be.

Outspread arms of strength,

Sway and dance to your beat.

Heads bow to your will

Succumb by your chaotic temper

Unseen you remain to be

Gently fierce is your nature

Twist and turn among these acres

Cause and effect are witnessed wide

by your unspoken power

Unseen you remain to be

Still you are, still you must,

Unseen to all

Unseen to most

Unseen you still remain to be

Till night’s end you remain to me.

Hello world!

Welcome to my ‘wonderful’ blog.

As you can see it’s a tad sparse at the moment.

That is because I don’t have much to say.

As soon as I do, You’ll be the first to know!

Thanks for stopping by, sorry for the wasted journey.