I had the great pleasure of meeting poet Michelle Feltham a couple of months ago. Our conversation moved from general pleasantries about the weather to comments about travel and photography. But it was when we started talking about our respective passions for writing and reading that Michelle told me she had a book of poems out. Naturally, I couldn't let her mention that without further questions, could I? And I am so glad I delved deeper.
Michelle had a copy of her book with her, and very kindly let me have a look. As I quickly flicked through the pages and stopped to read a stanza here of a couple of verses there, I realised I wanted to have a copy of the whole book. One of the things I love about poetry is that it is so succinct in nature that a couple of lines can be enough to speak a thousand words because whatever the sentiment, it is conveyed with such power and understanding. Those couple of lines were in a poem called Armistice.
Back home again, and I searched Amazon for copy of the book. A few days later, it arrived and, as I was travelling again the following week I took it with me. The constant rattle of the train in no way marred my enjoyment of these little works of art. The 37 poems are brigaded into sections, 'Politics' being the first, followed by 'Our Natural World' and running through the seasons, to finally end with 'Reflections'. So you can dip in and out depending on your mood and the time available. As my train journey was two hours, I started at the first poem, the Discombobulated of the title, and gradually worked my way through to the last one, Life After Death.
Some of the poems made me laugh, some made me pause for thought, and some I went back to read again. But it was the revelation at the very end of the book that caused me to sit up and think. My thoughts were finally interrupted by the announcement from the train guard that I had arrived at my destination. As a three-year-old, Michelle suffered in a severe vehicle accident which resulted in brain damage along with numerous other injuries. She was not expected to survive. But she did, and it was a great honour to have been able to speak to her all those weeks ago and to get an insight into the heart and mind of a poet.
Do I have a favourite amongst this collection? Not exactly, there were so many phrases and linked lines that seemed to echo so much about today's society, the wars that are being conducted, the general poverty we see around us, and the need to be mindful of others. But I will leave you with a snippet from Life After Death.
And if ever you should feel bereft,
Close your eyes and see that I never really left,
'Cause at the end of my life as at the start,
I'll forever be right there inside your heart.
I really hope Michelle continues to craft words and sentences and that further books of poetry will be completed and become available in the future. But for the moment, you can get Michelle's book in print or e-format on Amazon. Just click the link. Please also be aware that all proceeds from the sale of this book go to charity.
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