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Princess Ice Cream and Other Verses from the 1970s
“Majestic, stately, self-possessed,
A fashion plate divinely dressed.
Miniskirts and summer blouses,
Knee-length boots and winter trousers.
Tiaras, diamonds, royal crowns,
Pyjamas, swimsuits, evening gowns.
Cotton, satin, wool, or lace,
She wears them all with equal grace.”
From the poem “Princess Ice Cream”
Welcome to Michael McAllen’s collection of witty, opinionated and technically assured poetry written during that strange decade, the 1970s. It includes poems about love lost, gained or never-quite-achieved, Hollywood and the British theatre scene, along with vers d’occasion, pop song parodies, political diatribes from both sides of the Atlantic, and portraits – not always flattering – of various celebrities of the time.£6.99 -
Pretty Flowers In the Snow
Enter a world of dream and reality. Where the afterlife and our world meet. Where the beginning is the end and the end is the beginning. Where death, horror, the surreal, reality and pain meet. Gothic and surreal overtones are just some of the ideas that permeate this collection of poems.
Pretty Flowers in the Snow is the second book of the ‘Poppy’ trilogy, revealing that the world Lilith entered is full of flowers, smothered by snow. The flowers are a reflection of her and the torment she is in.£8.99 -
Postcolonial Metaphysics
Postcolonial Metaphysics is a debut poetry collection with a difference. The poems in this collection deal with contemporary political issues like colonialism, classism, migration, racism and social justice. This poetry collection includes introspective reflections about the philosophy of mind and the mind-body problem which draw on the author’s rich inner life. Other poems address the nature of mental illness to shed light on experiences which are often subject to stigma and misunderstanding.
Each of the poems in this collection engages with its audience and encourages readers to challenge their cherished beliefs and open their minds to new ways of perceiving the world. Overall, this powerful and moving debut poetry collection hopes to spark real change in the hearts and minds of its readership. The powerful poems in this collection are written to inspire the imagination of the readers and provide unique insights into the globalized and hyperconnected world we live in.
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Poets and Places
At the heart of poetry lies the desire to belong - to a place, a space, a country. Our experiences of the spaces we inhabit shape our identities and define the contours of our lives. In this collection of poems, we explore the varied and complex emotions that arise from our relationship with the spaces we inhabit.
Sometimes, a place is a dream we strive to achieve, a refuge from pain, or the lingering scent of a lost love. Space can be many things at different times in our lives. This eclectic and diverse collection brings together the voices of poets from all corners of the world, each offering a unique perspective on the theme of space.
Through the kaleidoscope of words in this collection, readers will be taken on a journey to worlds they love to explore. From free verse to rhyme and rhythm, these poems are a mosaic of styles and techniques that come together to create a rich tapestry of human experience.
Whether you’re searching for a sense of belonging, a moment of reflection, or simply a chance to lose yourself in the beauty of language, this collection offers something for everyone. So come along on a journey through the poetry of place, and discover the many ways in which space shapes our lives and our hearts.
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Poetic Encore
Feed your soul with what it means to be real. Turn each page in premonition of the next, and let this poetry paralyse your senses, with farms, and sheep, and grass, and sounds that are all too familiar. Maybe we can uncover your heart and piece it back together with a few words and nouns. This poetic encore is for you, and you only.
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Poems of the Pretentious Minds
Poems of the Pretentious Minds features a wide array of self-indulgent, darkly comical but heart-wrenching poetry that covers many topics such as love, family, friendship, death, sex addiction, abuse, anxiety, depression, suicide, mental turmoil, the city of London, various other locations around the UK and the intricacies of the world itself. Some of the poems also explore the contradiction of humanity and how one can appreciate the minute things in life, whilst others delve deeper into the human condition and how our emotions can ultimately cloud our judgement.
Later poems take a more autobiographical approach and instead focus on the poet himself, detailing his personality, conflicting emotions, life experiences, deep-rooted thoughts and his overall outlook of the world. Most of the poems have a sharply satirical edge to them, particularly the ones that focus on modern-day society as a whole, and real life events that have sparked mass debate and controversy.£7.99 -
Poems from the Volcano
Poems from the Volcano was written in a challenging and painful time in my life. Originally, I had bought a normal diary from WHSmiths with the thought that I would write my daily diary. I was rather overweight though. I had done a Prevention of Type II Diabetes Programme remotely using Microsoft Teams and because of this programme I was losing weight.
From February 2022 I had also decided not to take any medication to treat my Bipolar Disorder. This had resulted in me not being able to sleep which resulted in me suffering horrific hallucinations. It was in the diary then I would write notes about my life. From the age of seventeen to twenty-two I had suffered different stages of mental illness which included, nervous tension, agoraphobia, schizophrenia. I was put in a psychiatric ward for four weeks. My life after that went into hell and out of sheer madness became obese.
I began writing Poems from the Volcano in the Spring of 2022 and concluded in the Autumn of 2022. It is about adolescence heartbreak and the writing is inspired by own battle with heartbreak and depression. Some poems reflect political themes such as Ukraine and Russia. There is a historical poem called ‘Tat’, about Tutankhamun, the Egyptian pharaoh. These poems were a joy to pen.
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Poems From the October River Rabbit
Embark on a poetic journey through the ethereal realms of Poems from the October River Rabbit, the captivating second collection by Kolin Richmond Hughes. Following the resounding success of Poems from a Melancholic Panda, this exquisite compilation of fifty-five poems delves into profound themes that resonate with the soul.
Richmond Hughes invites readers to explore the tapestry of the natural world, unveiling a profound concern for the environment that intertwines with poignant observations of life itself. With unflinching honesty, the collection also delves into the intricacies of human sexuality, offering a compelling exploration of its many facets.
Published in the auspicious year of the river rabbit, the author felt an undeniable personal connection, prompting him to mark this occasion with his second manuscript. Through this heartfelt tribute, the poems encapsulate the enigmatic qualities associated with rabbits – gentle and elusive, yet profound in their impact.
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Poems from the Heart
These poems are a collection of poems which have been written over several years. They include a lot of Jane Begley’s personal experiences about the trials and tribulations of life. Most of these we will all experience at some point in our lives. These poems touch the heart. They tell us not to give up and to always listen to our hearts and not always to what we are told! Always stay active, be outside in nature as often as possible and just try to be a nice person!
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Poems from Poems
These poems are a response to a wide range of well-known poems from across the ages. They are written in the same poetic form as the originals and offer a modern perspective on their central themes. The reader is invited to look up the original – perhaps to re-read a loved poem or to explore unfamiliar ones – and see how far attitudes have changed over time. The environment is a particularly poignant topic, as so many older poets were consoled by its seemingly enduring beauty in troubled times. Another theme is the belief in the afterlife, which was central to many of the earlier poets, and the contrast with our own largely sceptical age. There are also, of course, universal themes such as love, death, change and parting.
The tone aims to echo each original, with satire and humour mixed with more serious and reflective moods.
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Poems from Paintings
These poems were inspired by works of art, chosen across place and time for their intrinsic power and the challenge they present to provoke thoughts and feelings in the viewer.
Ideally, readers should find a reproduction of the painting – easily available on the internet – to contemplate, before reading the poem. The hope is that readers might become aware of previously unnoticed aspects of the work and be interested in seeing how their own responses match or indeed conflict with those of the author.
Thus, the collection aims to offer an invitation to contribute to an ongoing dialogue between the artist, the poet and the reader. All art forms open a window into other lives and ways of seeing; this interplay between the genres provides an opportunity to reflect upon much that lies beyond one’s own immediate experience.
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Poems from a Melancholic Panda
Kolin Richmond-Hughes's first collection of poems concerns itself with cats, loss, the environment, gender issues and melancholy. He found that writing poetry was a vehicle to channel his anxieties and observations of his personal and external world. Brought up in the North West of England, he writes about his own battles with depression and about sexual identity...through a raw and sometimes witty narrative. He is an inclusionist poet who strives to bring the reader into his melancholic but hopefully light-hearted world. Poems from a Melancholic Panda is the alter ego inner narrative that gives a voice to these original verses.
£8.99