Tears of Poignancy
Though best known for his books about
Essex history, Ian Yearsley is also a published poet. He is a member of The Poetry Society
and the Southend Poetry Group and several of his poems have been published in anthologies
dating back to 1992. Ian has also led poetry workshops on subjects as diverse as
poetic form and rap music.
This book is a collection of 30 of Ian's poems, covering a 22-year period from 1984 to
2006. Around a third of the poems in this collection feature or have been inspired
by Essex places. The remainder are generally on the subjects of the trials of Life
and Love. Some examples from the collection are published below.
|
Number of pages: 48 |
| Number of illustrations: 0 | |
| ISBN: 1 899820 22 1 | |
| Publisher: Ian Yearsley, in partnership with Paragon Publishing, Rothersthorpe | |
| Publication date: August 2006 | |
| Price: £3.95 | |
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What the critics had to say about "Tears of Poignancy"
"A great little book of poetry."
BBC Essex
"Eastwood local history author Ian
Yearsley has swapped genres for his latest book... Essex, of course, features
prominently... but so do many moving and heartfelt poems about the trials of life and
love."
Southend Times
"An accomplished author... There are... a
lot of pensive and wistful poems."
Essex Enquirer
"[Ian's poem]... 'The Essex
Marshlands'... explores the psychology of place and reflects the love many of us have for
familiar landscapes that others might find unremarkable..."
The Essex Protector
(Journal of the Essex Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE))
Visitors to Ian's 1997 "Tears of
Poignancy" Poetry Exhibition,
on which this book is based, wrote the following...
"Excellent show. Keep up the good work."
"An excellent exhibition. These should be published."
"Wonderful stuff. I was very impressed."
"Very good poetry. Refreshing, truthful. I agree -- should be published."
"Can't wait for the first (but definitely not last) publication."
"An excellent collection of poems. Put them in a book please."
"I'm studying English Literature A-level as a mature student and thought the poetry was of an excellent standard and thoroughly deserved to be published."
Some of the poems featured in
"Tears of Poignancy"
The
‘There's nothing here. Why bring me to a place
That's barren, empty, desolate and dead,
A lifeless land that fills one's soul with dread,
An endless prairie wilderness of space?
I've seldom seen such greyness in a sky
Or felt such isolation or despair;
The wind tears through my heart and warns:
“Beware!”
And circling, screeching birds give their reply.
The smell of salt says “Retch!” when I inhale.
The odious air asks: “Wretch, why are you
here?”.
This cheerless, treeless, marshland atmosphere
Conceals all horizons with its veil.
I cannot wait while you just stand and stare -
You'll find me taking brandy at The Bear.’
There's nothing here? He does not know this place.
This haunting, daunting fascinating land
Implores receptive hearts to understand
The beauty of its emptiness and space.
The dancing, sparkling sunlight shares the sky
With livid hues of blue and slate and grey;
The wind blows tears of poignancy my way
And wheeling shank and curlew softly cry.
I feel my life refresh when I inhale
And taste the salty freshness of the sea -
There's no-one now for miles around but me
To witness Nature taking off her veil.
You're welcome, friend, to any world you share
With those who look but cannot see what's there.
(© Ian Yearsley, 1993-2009) |
Dedham High Street, open aspect,
Full of tourists, short on space,
Towering church, St Mary's grandeur,
Built by merchants - cloth and lace.
An artist came here, saw and painted,
Captured people long-since dead;
Same but different, something missing,
Decades passing through my head...
...Back to 18th-century
Constable came here to school,
Across the fields from distant Bergholt,
Birthplace and most precious jewel
Within the painter's own surroundings,
Loved like none beyond the pale,
Within the mental fence erected,
Cherished scenes of Dedham Vale.
Now on walls throughout the Kingdom
Works of art by artists hang,
In living rooms from
Voices have for centuries sang
The praises of the greatest landscape
Painter that there's ever been -
John Constable of Bergholt,
Who captured native
(©
Ian Yearsley, 1995-2009) |
It
Changed My Life
It changed my life the day I saw your face.
I'd heard of Love but not felt her embrace,
Had always laughed at others when they'd
said
She'd one day rule my life, my heart, my
head;
With nothing else I knew was that the case.
Then I met you. My pulse began to race,
My heart did something strange I could not
place.
From that first glance my scepticism fled.
It changed my life.
So this was Love. A touch as light as lace,
A Goddess whom I worshipped for her grace,
Who ruled my life, possessed my heart and
head,
Until the day came that I knew I'd dread:
Where you once were there was an empty
space.
It changed my life.
(©
Ian Yearsley, 1996-2009) |
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