Human beings have always needed angels – figures to illuminate our lives and care for us. This anthology offers earthly and celestial angels, who appear in a nurse’s uniform or a flash of light, to lift us up towards belief, survival and love.
We meet a grandmother whose amazing love is celebrated and even a dog whose tail wagging wakes its adoring owner. Elsewhere, an angelic statue offers a moment of reflection for all who zoom past:
“I glimpsed our destination
in the rear-view glass
and in my heartbeat heard
the pulse of outspread wings.”
from ‘The Angel of the North’ by Ian Parks
Poet Romalyn Ante’s lyrical and moving selection explores the many things that ‘angel’ can mean, in lines which bring beauty and significance fluttering into our lives.
Poems by Romalyn Ante, Ellen Bass, Emily Dickinson, Philip Gross, Susan Harris, Ian Parks, Cheryl Pearson, Pascale Petit, Roger Robinson and Joanna Sedgwick.
Cover illustration by Sarah Kirby.
Donation to Starlight Children’s Foundation.
📖 My Review..
There’s something special about angels and whether or not you believe in them there is no doubt that many people take great comfort in the idea that angels are sent here to care for us when we need them most. As a child the Catholic primary school I attended was very keen on the idea that everyone had a celestial guardian angel. I have gone through my life, thus far, believing that my angel continues to walk alongside me.
With two distinct sections the anthology gets off to a fine start with an imaginative collection of five poems which look at the insightful nature of Everyday Angels…
The opening verse On Nurses by Roger Robinson seems particularly appropriate for me as I spent 30 years working as a nurse and often wore a small Angel pin badge attached to my uniform.
‘Surely they know that life is random, how death can creep up on the innocent. But how their instincts can sometimes pull spirits back from the brink…’
The latter section of five poems, appropriately named Celestial Angels, is an altogether more magical collection of verse. I particularly enjoyed the lyricism of Guardians by Joanna Sedgwick:
‘Every now and then, one will follow you.
A body of light in the corner of your eye
A Strand of feather brushing your neck ‘
And the closing poem The Christmas Angel by Susan Harris brings an element of magic to this special time:
‘She has a secret only she can keep
We feel a tingle on our fingertips.
Outside, the soft touch of her wings:
A feather floating on the winter air.’
Ten Poems about Angels is a lovely collection of poems which celebrates all things angelic and is especially appropriate as we come towards Christmas. The pamphlet would be a perfect addition to any Christmas stocking or ‘instead of a card’ for someone who believes in the magic of angels.
Candlestick Press is an independent publisher based in Nottingham, UK. We’ve been publishing poetry pamphlets since 2008 not only for people who already love poetry, but also for those who will love it but perhaps don’t know that yet. Our ‘instead of a card’ pamphlets make an ideal alternative to a mainstream greetings card and are a small gift in their own right. They have matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message, and are excellent companions on journeys or for a bedtime read. By supporting us, you help an independent press and our supported charities at the same time as treating yourselves, your friends and family to some wonderful poems.
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