Stephen Leake

Blue Twist Stephen Leake

The poems in 'Blue Twist,' are not only poems of memory and place. They concern the connections and disconnections of our inner emotions -subtly unfolding and untwisting in a deceptively relaxed style.

The title poem and indeed the whole collection began with a visit to Beachy Head in June 2004 and explores not only the physical power and beauty of the place but the position it has held in a multitude of lives, as a living passageway from life to death.

The poems in Blue Twist are concerned with transience; they are ever aware of our mortality. Obviously there is a link between the title poem and the longest work in the book 'Revenant,'(this being the physical environment where they both take place). However, the associations between other poems can at times seem less apparent.

The handful of poems contained 'In the Gallery,' were inspired by the Hopper exhibition at the Tate Modern, and again concern the sea. 'Lighthouse hill,' ( back to Beachy Head again!) leads onto a broader urban and human landscape which bridges the learning processes of everyday lives (as in Gina's Lesson), and faith through language and understanding (as in Snow Learner).

As with the poems in the author's previous collection (Beyond the Parasol), it is hoped that this second collection will engage the reader, without pretension.

These are poems you can trust. There's no attitude here.