Jaffareadstoo is delighted to share this latest poetry pamphlet from Candlestick Press
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| Candlestick Press July 2018 Selected and introduced by Jacqueline Gabbitas My thanks to the publishers for my copy of this pamphlet |
Lazing on a picnic rug under a clear blue sky, what could be more lovely than reading poetry? These ten poems have been selected to provide a perfect accompaniment to an open-air feast; some capture culinary delights such as strawberry tarts and custard while others have been chosen to add to the mood of carefree bliss that only a picnic on a summer’s day can offer.
From Jeremy Hooker’s thoughts while blackberrying to the quiet joy of being in a park with squirrels and daffodils in March, we are transported to enchanted times and places where day-to-day routines seem to have been suspended:
“In a little rainy mist of white and grey
we sat under an old tree,
drank tea toasts to the powdery mountain,”
from ‘The Picnic’ by Edwin Morgan
Whether read alone or to a friend or lover, these beautiful poems make ideal companions for a cucumber sandwich and a glass of fizz.
Poems by Wayne Burrows, Jacqueline Gabbitas, Katherine Gallagher, Jeremy Hooker, Mimi Khalvati, Edwin Morgan, Frank O’Hara, Peter Phillips, Gertrude Stein and Edna St. Vincent Millay.
My thoughts..
This collection of ten quirky poems about picnics is such a diverse assortment of verse that it's really difficult to choose a favourite. However, any poetry collection that starts with a poem by one of my favourite twentieth century poets, Edna St.Vincent Millay, is bound to set my thoughts in the right direction.
"We lay on a hill-top underneath the moon;
And the whistles kept blowing, and the dawn came too soon."
from ' Recuerdo' by Edna St.Vincent Millay
"What I see are strawberry and raspberry tarts
apricot flans and creamy cheesecake
I breathe in, taste the colours
go in search of a cup of tea."
from 'Cakes at Sherringham Park' by Peter Phillips
This collection of poetry conjures the delight of sitting outdoors, in good company, with good food and the simple pleasure of being with friends. And all around, with beautiful verse, the sounds, tastes and sights of nature come gloriously alive.
Reading Ten Poems for a Picnic is the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon, sitting on lovely tartan rug, with a flask of tea and ham sandwich, and let the cares of the day simply drift away.
Candlestick Press is a small, independent press publishing sumptuously produced poetry pamphlets that serve as a wonderful alternative to a greetings card, with matching envelopes and bookmarks left blank for your message. Their subjects include Cricket, London, Lesbian and Gay, Revenge, Babies and Fathers. Candlestick Press pamphlets are stocked by chain and independent bookshops, galleries and garden centres nationwide and available to order online.
Huge thanks to Kathy at Candlestick Press for my copy of Ten Poems for a Picnic
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