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The Book Bag: Why I Wear My Past To Work by Chris Campbell

Welcome back to The Book Bag. I hope you’ve had a poetic week.

I’ve probably asked this about 437 times this week, but how is it October?

I’ve had quite the rollercoaster this week. Sunday morning was spent at the allotment, making a bulb lasagne. Hopefully come spring, we’ll have some lovely pastels flowering. Fingers crossed! 

I also saw Newcastle get (undeservedly) beat by Arsenal. But then we bounced back with a Champions League win. It was also the 2nd anniversary of getting Brody. We celebrated by giving him toys and treats. Unfortunately, the weather put pay to our planned walk. 

Wednesday was the launch of this month’s Poetic Voice feature and I’m thrilled that Carson agreed to take part. If you’ve not read the first part already, catch up here. Thursday was National Poetry Day on the theme of ‘Play’. I shared a small piece on social media. I’ve also added it here with my TopTweetTuesday entry.

Also, this week I’ve sent off several submissions and had some good news. You may remember my poem ‘Laundry Day’ was accepted and published by Dust Poetry Magazine (link here), well I’m beside myself, because it has been nominated for a Best Of The Net award. I’d like to say thanks to Dust for trusting in my work and congratulations to all other nominees. 

On top of that, I’ve been reading;

Why I Wear My Past To Work

  • Poet: Chris Campbell
  • Press: Parlyaree  Press


This is Chris Campbell’s second appearance in The Book Bag. He is back with a bang in Why I Wear My Past To Work, a collection that spans recovery from illness, family, relationships and life. There is definite evolution in this collection from All Island, No Sea. I was lucky to be part of his online launch a couple of weeks ago. If you get a chance to hear him read, take it. His voice carries real weight and emotion. 

One of Chris’ main strengths is his sharp observation. He can immerse a reader in a scene or situation that feels relatable rather than forced. Poems such as ‘Five Schoolboys Pick Pyracantha’, ‘The Sea Steals Our Picnic Blanket’, ‘The Meadow, Dugdale Avenue, 1993’ and ‘Revellers Howl In The Fine Hours’ excel in this vein. The piece ‘Cold Crooks By This Fire Pit’ made me think of ‘Hippy Green’ behind Old Eldon Square in Newcastle.

The pieces relating to Chris’s recovery are at times harrowing and at times funny. ‘Today I Can’t Speak’ is compact yet compelling. ‘In The Queue At Bristol Royal Infirmary’ is a darkly funny piece that is so relatable to anyone who’s spent time in an A&E and one of my favourites. Poems including ‘After Leaving The Ward’ and ‘Holed Up After Hunting For A Gift’ also highlight Chris’ spirit, resilience and the journey he has been on. In these pieces we are seeing Chris at his most vulnerable.

The pieces in this collection which address his relationship with his family are delicate and authentic. Poems including ‘Day Trip, 2000’, ‘You Are Here, Grandad, In This Mute Playpark’ (which left me in a flood of tears) and ‘Bin Workers Wake You’ are all perfect examples of this across a scale of emotion. ‘My Son Grows as I Regress’ is a tremendously thoughtful and moving piece.

Aside from family relationships, Chris connects with everyone, he is after all a genuinely decent human being. I must the poem ‘I Drown During An Awards Do As The Queen Dies’ where Chris confronts a former soldier who is spouting bigoted diatribe. The piece ‘How This Cuban Shop Serves Pachanga’ is a lovely poem on community full of sensory imagery. We need more Chris Campbell’s in the world.


In terms of form, Chris uses a variety throughout including couplets in ‘A Helping of Sand After University’, compared to the flow of single-versed ‘Our Date Night Will Be Ponchos In January’. In ‘I am The Man I Wanted To Be’ we are shown some neat, intricate internal rhyme along with honest introspection. I really enjoyed some of the surprising line breaks throughout the book especially in ‘There Is A Mortuary On The Horizon’.

This collection will appeal to poetry lovers who appreciate heartfelt poems from a masculine perspective that don’t border on cliche. Lovers of vivid imagery and sharp observations will appreciate the pieces throughout this book. These are poems to return to time and again, it feels like having a conversation with a friend who relishes family, friends and the small (and big) things in life. Also if you’re looking for gift inspiration for the forthcoming festivities, Why I Wear My Past to Work would make a great Christmas present. 

Favourite Poem:

I have several favourites in this collection. I’ve already mentioned ‘In The Queue At Bristol Royal Infirmary’ so I’ll stick to another five as I’m writing. ‘Who Gave Our Kid Glitter Stickers’, ‘You Play The Violin On Your Mum’s Birthday’, ‘Shove Your 3-for-2 Flyer’, ‘Let Me Breathe Apricots’ and ‘Why I Wear My Past To Work’. I must also give a special mention to ‘Egg Lamp’s Verdict’. Oh and ‘Ode To The Pruning Woman Eaten by Vines’ is pretty special too.

To learn more about Chris, click here. 

To buy Why I Wear My Past To Work click here.

And of course, it wouldn’t be The Book Bag without a playlist to accompany Chris’s collection, so here’s an eclectic selection to pair with the book…

Joni Mitchell – Both Sides Now
Florence & The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
Oasis – Songbird
Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
Miles Davis – Blue In Green
Yusuf Islam – Father & Son
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Three Little Birds
The Verve – Sonnet
Bill Withers – Lean On Me
Elton John – I’m Still Standing
Mumford & Sons – After The Storm
Portishead – Only You
Muddy Waters – Got My Mojo Working
Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending

Before I Go…

Frazzled Lit are open for free submissions throughout October. I am excited and honoured to be part of the reading panel which also includes Louise Machen and Val Roberts. Details and Guidelines here. Send your best work.

One More Thing…

Broken Spine Arts have another thematic callout for submissions, this time for gothic poetry to be included in ‘The Havisham Steps’ anthology. Details here.

And Another…

If you want to partake in a supportive and friendly open mic, The Book Bag Open Sessions: Session 1 is on Sunday 9th November between 7 & 9pm (UK Time), via zoom. Share polished gems or roughcut coals. Or sit back and enjoy as an audience member. Details here.

And Finally…

Mark Anthony Owen’s excellent ‘After…’ journal is open for submissions throughout October looking for ekphrastic / after pieces. Full details here.

Next Week’s Read

  • Title: Somewhere A Tree Waits For An Angel Or A Butterfly
  • Poet: Eileen Carney Hulme

Take it easy and stay poetic, I’ll catch you next week.

Paul

All Of Us Horses

Wild stallions overrunning cobblestone streets 
gallops fierce as northern thunder, 
manes a frenzy of electric-shock wind; 
all thoughts of consequences 
trampled in the wake of lightning-hooves. 

Shoots of meadows sprung up 
in tarmacked alleys and avenues. Band of brothers separated,  
searching for pastures of their own to graze. 

Love bridles all. Reins accepted willingly. 

Untethered and unburdened by expectation, 
when we horses herd together; 
                                                         we canter.

Photo by Vladimir Vujeva on Unsplash

The Book Bag: Panic Response by John McCullough

Welcome back to The Book Bag. Last week, I shared my thoughts on Toccata and Fugue with Harp by Margaret Royall.

This week, between the wintry weather, getting a copy of Last Light (an apocalyptic poetry anthology I am featured in, published by The Broken Spine, find out more here), and dashing home from a saxophone lesson to attend an excellent writing workshop by Blackbough Poetry on time, I have been reading;

Panic Response 

  • Author: John McCullough
  • Press: Penned In The Margins
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Panic Response is a collection of poems that deals with grief, mental health and steps toward recovery. Personal themes intersect with wider social issues. The collection is dark with glimmers of light and sometimes feels like several parts of his mind clash. 

The poem ‘Flowers of Sulphur’ deals with the death of a friend head-on. The rawness of the line ‘They found you in the bath, wrists opened. No note’ hits you square in the face and the heart within the context of the whole piece. I re-read this several times out of sorrow and respect. 

In the poem ‘Comma’,  we delve into an unrelenting stream of consciousness. And just like a stream, it doesn’t end how it begins. It’s a clever piece.  

Throughout the book, John McCullough’s vivid use of colour and how it equates to varying emotions or people is incredible. In ‘Quantum’ he dedicates the colour lilac to Avril Brown, his former chemistry teacher, ‘Mr Jelly’ has several depictions of the colour of silence and obviously the piece, ‘Electric Blue’. 

‘Glass Men’ deals with relationships between men expertly and is a great opening to the collection. One of the lines, made me gasp. I won’t say which one, but it is such a perfect observation.

The poem ‘Letter to Lee Harwood’ manages to capture multiple subjects in one; loneliness, Covid, fear, an elderly neighbour’s paranoia and injustice. The form of couplets gives readers time to digest and breathe in this piece. 

I mentioned the use of colour earlier in the poem. This collection also plays with form throughout. Each of these is carefully considered and makes perfect sense for the message of each poem.

I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this book. It is sad, tragic, harrowing and gets under your skin but there are also lighter moments. I would highly recommend this to anybody looking to get a glimpse into the mind of a great poet and how he has managed to channel experiences into such a formidable collection.  

Favorite Poem:
Crown Shyness. 

One More Thing… 

When I started writing poetry again in July 2020, Reckless Paper Birds by John McCullough was one of the first books, I read. Find more about John McCullough here: https://johnmccullough.co.uk/

And Finally…

In the poem Error Garden, Hama-rikyu Garden in Japan is mentioned. For this week’s Top Tweet Tuesday, I wrote about the Japanese Cherry Tree Orchard in Alnwick Garden.

You can read it here: The Cherry Tree Orchard, Alnwick Garden

Next Week’s Read

Looking ahead, here’s what’s in my book bag next week;

  • Title: Back From Away 
  • Author: Damien B. Donnelly

That’s it for this week’s reading roundup! If you’ve read any of the books I’m sharing or have recommendations for what poetry I should be reading, drop a comment below. 

Take it easy

Paul

An Affair of Pipistrelles

Shrouded in the half-light 
of a crow-dusk sky and ruby streetlamp blur 
I observe hidden lovers 
tango in mid-air 
wings outstretched ready to hold the earth  
                                   in their lust-love 

time is stolen by the passion of the near-night  
                          and silent melody of the harp-moon 

until the crackle of burnt leaf-beacons
warns of a stoat’s prying eyes
               
         endangered by discovery
         the paramours bow into the shadows 
leaving only the gentlest echo of their romance 
                                                           
                                                                           to the dark.

Tribute

Helios had painted the sky
that night – lipstick pink –
his chariot pulled the heart-crimson sun
lingering for moments
while I enjoyed sips of retsina

I wondered if he was trying to emasculate
all those below
because how can mortals compete with gods – 
when it comes to creating special moments
like that first dinner of a honeymoon

but I was caught between the earth of your eyes
and the horizon, colour of romance
and realised it was a tribute to you
to us
to our love.

Advent Calendar Poem #9: Paper Cuts


Full of paper cuts
and empty of     tape
I’ve folded and creased 
trees, elves and St. Nick
with baubles, reindeer and stars
patterns rarely    matching
but working all the same
I can’t wait to see looks on 
my loved ones     faces 
as all my work is undone
Merry Christmas, everyone.

Thanks for reading Paper Cuts. I hope you enjoyed it. I’d love to hear any thoughts.

Take It Easy,

Paul

Advent Calendar Poem #6: That Time Of Year


Nostalgia enters on the chirrup of a wren
and the first cord of wham on the radio 
it’s only a matter of time before the tree
goes up and grows baubles      and lights 
as smiles widen on our faces
we’ll go for a woodland walk 
hand in hand, glove in glove 
maybe pick up some pinecones 
as a memento 
then later under December’s full moon
sip our hot chocolates 
sending warmth into the air.

Thanks for dropping in to read today’s poem. I hope the start of you week has gone well.

How does nostalgia for Christmas hit you?

Let me know in the comments…

Take It Easy

Paul

Advent Calendar Poem #4: Woodland Wisdom

Holly berries gleam 
in the bewitching winter blue-light
ruby red and      alive 
held tightly in the arms  
of emerald flames burning    darkly  
all along        the hedgerow  
reminding passers-by  
to live with passion  
            and warmth.

Thanks for stopping by to check out day 4 of the Advent Calendar of Poems I’m creating.

I hope you’re enjoying the weekend so far…

Take It Easy,

Paul

Incendiary

Golden sands were painted coal-dust black
          the day I found the flint
it called to me 
          like a flame draws a moth
I knew then my purpose 
          but setting the world ablaze
doesn’t come easy 
          often fires splutter out sparks 
and embers fade
           before they become effective
so I became patient 
           striking the firestone 
when it really mattered
           like the day            I found her 
and saw the kindling catch 
            behind her hazel eyes
the inferno still 
            roars.

Thanks for taking the time to read Incendiary. If you’d like to keep up to date with my newest poems as they come out, follow my site, and you’ll be updated with every new post.

In the meantime, take it easy,

Paul