A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. CONFUCIUS

Tuesday 4 August 2015

Light Breaks


I am delighted to announce that my second poetry book, Light Breaks, has just been published. It's available from Amazon UKAmazon US and Amazon Europe.

Some reviews of my former collection, Raining Quinces:

Robert Wilkinson writes like the practised pilgrim he is in this warm and entertaining collection. Sometimes he makes us laugh, sometimes he jolts with a surprising image. An underlying sense of spiritual longing infuses the diverse collection. A delightful companion for the road. 

ROY BAYFIELD Amazon

Many things are incorporated into the poetry of this substantial book — spiritual insight, comic wordplay, personal confession . . . There is a Romantic simplicity about much of Robert‘s poetry. At points I'm reminded of Rilke and, in the lighter pieces, Wendy Cope and John Betjeman. This is poetry which lays its tune frankly on the air (as Basil Bunting put it). And he can be very funny. For a start, anyone who has not yet read his celebration of Nigella Lawson should buy this book. Of the more serious poems, I particularly liked Orpheus and Eurydice and Two Worlds in One — it was worth the price of the book for these two poems alone, I thought. 

DOMINIC RIVRON Amazon

A poem from Light Breaks:

Tomorrow

Tomorrow I am going to give up
Scotch whisky and the pursuit of knowledge,
sex, sour wine, peanut butter,
all beliefs, religions and philosophies,
arguments, Gardeners’ Question Time,
overindulging in oranges,

and I’ll throw off
my torn blue Levi’s and my poet’s hat,
do something so mad and different that
I’ll leave my old ideas and habits
in my wake like yesterday’s clothes,
and whoop, and hardly know myself.

ROBERT WILKINSON                        

14 comments:

The Weaver of Grass said...

Hope it goes well Robert.

Anonymous said...

I don't know about Gardener's Question Time. Isn't that going a bit far?

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks, Weaver.

Sackerson — some sacrifices just have to be made :)

am said...

Tomorrow! Looking forward to reading more new poems. I just ordered a copy.

(Some major synchronicity in my life. I will be soon be paid for transcribing medical records for a hospital named El Camino)

Ruth said...

Me too, Robert. I'm excited to hold your latest volume. Congratulations!

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks so much, Am and Ruth, for ordering copies. Hope you enjoy!

George said...

Congratulations, Robert. Looking forward to getting your new book of poetry.

The Solitary Walker said...

Thanks, George!

And John O — I'm so pleased the poem worked for you. I often like to disguise more 'profound' stuff, if you like, in a clothing of humour or light verse.

George said...

In my earlier comment, I forgot to mention that I really love this poem. We can never fully imagine what could be discovered if only we would discard our entrenched habits and threadbare preferences.

Amanda Summer said...

Congratulations, Robert, and what a beautiful poem to entice us with. Whoop indeed!

The Solitary Walker said...

I'm pleased you liked the poem, George and Amanda.

catharus said...

Congratulations! I'll have to do a read!

sage said...

Congratulations on the publication and, like you, I'll give up Scotch tomorrow (kind of like the bar that had a sign advertising free beer, tomorrow!

dritanje said...

My congratulations too Robert! I also admire the way you dress the serious stuff as you say, in humour, so we can all recognize our own habitual foibles and weaknesses. Which might include - those determinations every so often, to give them up. I hope the Way and you are going well.