Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve all had a poetic week.
Well what a week it has been. After 70 years without a domestic cup, Newcastle United finally won the League Cup at Wembley. Since then, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind of emotions. I attended an awayday at work and heard a speaker discussing change which was really interesting. I also met a friend for a catchup over food and drinks.
On top of that, I’ve been reading;
Mountains That See in the Dark
- Poet: Regine Ebner
- Press: Black Bough Poetry
A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on Regine Ebner’s pamphlet ‘Oxidized Pennies’. I said that a new collection was coming from Regine in the near future, and readers, it has arrived. You’ll also know that I’m a massive fan of Regine in her poetry and for her adventurous spirit.
The collection, recently announced as nominated for a Forward Prize by Black Bough Poetry, is divided into 6 sections (including bonus poems), each taking inspiration from the mountainous desert terrain that serves as a backdrop for much of Regine’s poems. A page ‘About Regine’ gives details as to how her life was shaped and how she arrived in the desert.
Her skill in economy of language has evolved since Oxidized Pennies. Two compact poems; ‘Citrine’ and ‘Drunk Confetti’ illustrate this, with word choices connecting to their underlying themes more vividly. I can also say the same for ‘Jellybean Hill’ and ‘A Myriad of Leaf’.
Regine plays with the spectrum of colour deftly in the collection. The pieces ‘Apparitions’, ‘Cracked Surfaces’ and ‘Hurricanes’ paint the wilderness of the mountainous desert region brilliantly, lifting them from the page to the mind’s eye.
The imagery throughout is exceptional. I could list countless poems in this collection where it felt as though I was immersed in landscaped scenes unfamiliar to me. I will pick out the following as examples; ‘Bonds of Salted Land’, ‘Missions and Slit Rail Fences’ and ‘Hushed Peaks and Glory Columbine’. A great deal of the pieces are love letters to the environment that Regine calls home.
I read a quote at the Northern Poetry Library a while ago that said ‘…Poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen’, and this collection is definitely testament to that.
Poems including ‘Love and Beasts’ and ‘Desert Streets’ play with movement in differing ways. The shifts in pace really engage the reader further rather than rushing them through to a crescendo of a closing line.
Mountains That See in the Dark is a tremendous second ‘album’ that will appeal of lovers of imagery woven throughout emotional and natural reckonings. This is precise poetry that resonates.
To buy Mountains That see In The Dark, and find more about Regine, click here. It is available in both Paperback and for Kindle.
Favourite Poem:
Doorways.
One More Thing…
My efforts to start a new online poetry writing group have ramped up and will soon be sending out invites. The plan is to host every 6 weeks midweek, probably a Thursday evening (UK time).
Next Week’s Read
- Title: A Dress With Deep Pockets
- Poet: Jen Feroze
Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week. If you have any recommendations in the meantime, please leave a comment.
Paul
Paul Writes Poems 