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The Revd Canon Thomas Woodhouse, Chaplain
In John’s Collection of poems, Hope, Beauty and friendship, you will experience the whole of human life and more! It is a corpus of work that spans a lifetime, a life of celebration and commiseration, a life of memorial and thanksgiving, a life of enquiry and study. John is set at the heart of his large family, a family that literally reaches around the whole globe, a family that has endured its own fair share of sorrow and joy. John’s poems reflect all of this, in their national and international feel, in John’s willingness to go to rather than shy away from tragedy, and through religion and medicine. John’s deep and enduring Christian faith is the bedrock on which his life is built, and his poetry bears witness to his faith, as well as to an extraordinary breadth and interests. Hope, Beauty and Friendship could easily be translated as “Faith, Hope and love and greatest of these is love.”-it witnesses to all three!
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It is not often that you are privileged enough to enter into someone else’s mind. This unique collection of work reminds one of sitting in an attic, long unvisited, on a Spring morning with the light pouring in from a low sun through the window and discovering everywhere previously untouched gems.
Every poem is like a box that, when opened, envelopes you and takes you on a journey-sometimes to a past seen through the prism of the day, often a travel through a poignant land where sadness and hope walk together and most impressively, opening into a life full of exploration, both geographical and emotional.
The wide range of topics is extra-ordinary, but they have a collective power which speaks to the human condition-precipitated as this was by tragedy-but the joy wins, with the sadness having its counterpoint, for how can one exist without the other?
John Walker-Smith has taken us, with beautiful verse and certainty of style, through his ‘attic’ and one gets the sense that there are many more secrets to be discovered, both through re-reading these marvellous poems and also of secrets to come. The modern events that formulate some of the more recent works reveal an ongoing relevance of approach through the lens of a long life, enriched by many experiences and filtered through its owner’s inevitable wisdom.
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This book consists of 66 short and easy-to-read poems on diverse subjects. Though initially written as a response to the sad death of his daughter, the poems reflect a variety of experiences in the author’s life. These include events in his long career as a paediatric gastroenterologist, working with children in an impoverished area of East London. Medical issues such as the Coronavirus pandemic are also considered as well as changes to hospital staffing and practice in recent years. There is a strong Christian theme in many poems, together with an expression of hope for a future time when we may meet our loved ones again. Among other subjects mentioned in the book are family, friendship & love, travel and war. Two poems are about transcendental beauty, ‘Roman Glass’ and ‘The Colour Blue.’ As mentioned by the author, readers are likely to respond differently to individual poems according to their own beliefs and life experiences. This is part of the interest of this unusual collection.
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Ian Sanderson from London
ECHOES OF HOPE AND LOSS: A POETIC JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF AND FAITH
While grief could be described as the most poignant emotion a human being can suffer, it has begotten great literature. Each of us can recollect instances that have stayed with us; one cannot fail to be moved by Michel de Montaigne’s essay On Friendship, or by W.H. Auden’s Funeral Blues. Grief was the seed for John Walker-Smith’s dazzling set of poems, entitled Hope, Beauty and Friendship. However, the collection is up-lifting rather than melancholy. Much of this is due to the poet’s style, which is free verse with a positive underlying rhythm. The author’s strong Christian faith also contributes to the optimistic tone. Some of the poems concentrate on religious themes. The physical connection (poem 32) priests have with Jesus Christ, from the sequence of laying on of bishop’s hands over two thousand years, is beautifully brought to light. It makes one realise that all confirmed Christians have this blessing. Poet and reader “are clean different things”; it is likely that the poems that resonate most with the reader may differ from those that are closest to the author. John Walker-Smith’s tribute to his cousin (poem 16) who died in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II is one that readers may particularly be drawn to. The pilot sacrificed his life in the cause of our freedom. While we do not feel the emotional pull of the poet, the work is part of our story and our loss also. The whole section on Terror and War, may similarly engage us. The book is dedicated to Laura, the author’s second daughter, who died tragically young; and many moving poems describe emotions between family members. Two of the poems (47 and 48) are so personal that the poet doesn’t reveal to whom they refer; but this anonymity brings with it a universal experience. Many of us have loved individuals whose identity we have not been able to widely divulge. The collection touches on many themes, which are listed in the contents. It is not the purpose of this short review to examine all of them. But the variety of experience that the poet considers and writes about, is one of the strengths of the book. I commend this collection, not only because of the topics that it covers but also because of the beauty and readability of the language that describes them.
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Gordon Stokes Mona Vale from New South Wales Australia
It is a beautiful set of reflections expressed in clear, elegant verse. A throb of nostalgia beats quietly through many of the sixty-six poems. They richly convey the lingering sadness, joy and camaraderie engendered by personal experiences with which many folks will find an affinity. They may also identify the vein of love for God and certain hope of eternal life flowing through the verse.
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This is a very heartfelt collection of poems, written following the tragic death of the author’s daughter. The poems range from the intensely personal to the political, underpinned by a deep Christian faith. The overall tone is of emotional honesty, and the author displays an uncynical loyalty to his adopted country and its monarchy. A very moving collection of poems written in an approachable and unshowy free verse style.
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With all the author has achieved (he is worth Googling) his multi-layered "The Wedding" sets the tone with a heart wrenched by the death of his daughter. The following poems are a journey through tragedy, mourning, loss, war and hope and are written in a way where the reader can quickly read the text, then take time to reflect on the meaning which has many levels.
Poems you can read again and again to remind yourself of what you have in your life, who you have in your life, and the journey in front of you.
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Beautifully written poems than span a lifetime of personal experiences. The author uses emotive language to draw the reader in and takes them on a journey through family celebrations, relationships, tragedy and world issues. Through his poems, the author encourages the reader to reflect on their own thoughts and beliefs around the idea of hope, beauty and friendship.
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Wonderful emotive poetry.
Received this book early this week. Really good read and quite emotional. Can fell the author's emotion through his words.
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This is a very heartfelt collection of poems, written following the tragic death of the author's daughter. The poems range from the intensely personal to the political, underpinned by a deep Christian faith. The overall tone is of emotional honesty, and the author displays an uncynical loyalty to his adopted country and its monarchy. A very moving collection of poems written in an approachable and unshowy free verse style.
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Hope, Beauty and Friendship is a poignant, tender, delicate and emotive book of poetry that takes the reader through a journey of emotions.
Each poem tells an extraordinary story. It is hard to believe the author has been through so much yet finds the words to encapsulate the moment from his life so beautifully.
The words about my best friend leaving this world will stay with me forever.
A true poet and extraordinary writer. What an achievement to publish this selection of poems John Walker- Smith.
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This is a book of beautiful poems about thoughts and feelings in a variety of life events that have had a deeply emotional effect on the author. The poems are of varying lengths, and are divided into sections to act as a guide to what situations or subjects have affected his life, and which he expresses in a way and language which conveys the words of the title “Hope, Beauty and Friendship”.
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