Literary reviews by Tim Love.
Warning: Rather than reviews, these are often notes in preparation for reviews that were never finished, or pleas for help with understanding pieces. See Litref Reviews - a rationale for details.

Wednesday, 24 October 2018

"Taking Note: Poetry in Moments"

A small collection of nicely presented poems by Jo Shapcott, Eve Lacey, Rebecca Watts and Kaddy Benyon, centred around Addenbrooke's - "the poets have been spending time in the hospital with different groups of patients and staff, observing and watching and writing. These poems are what have emerged". It's online at http://www.cambridgecandi.org.uk/projects/reimagine/taking-note-poetry-in-moments. Addenbrooke's is big, with shops, a bank, a worshipping area, and hairdressers. There's art in some of the many corridors, even a little medical exhibition. All life is there, and this pamphlet focusses on the happier and non-medical aspects.

In "Look Up! by Kaddy Benyon, a child sees a colourful mobile. He tells his mother about it but she just tells him to get a move on.

       Awestruck, he obeys and dogtrots after her,
            language now lost, but one pudgy digit an arrow

on the cusp of pointing

It's a little episode of the type often seen in shopping centres, etc. We don't know where they're going or what they'll see next.

There's also a poem constructed from contributions by the public.

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