Wednesday 4 January 2012

Vintage Sea by Marion McCready

Vintage Sea is the first poetry pamphlet from Marion McCready (who blogs here).


I read the book a week or so ago and flicking through now to write this review, I'm immediately drawn to Becoming Spring, which despite its title perfectly describes the type of very wet Scottish weather we've had today:


All week I am water, cloud, rain, river
Sodden skirts cling to me.


This is typical of Marion's poetry, rooted in the landscape and experience of Scotland. The poems are full of imagery and characters who remain almost at the edge of vision, not explained, just there (The Herring Girl, The Cockle Picker's Wife, the family in The Red Road.)

My favourite poem is We Met by a Charm of Crossbills and not just because it is for me the most beautiful poem in the book but because as a birdwatcher, I'm very envious of the whole experience, I've never seen even one crossbill and would love to see a whole charm of them.....

The blood birds kiss the air
as they fall from cone to cone,

their warp of mandibles
freeing the fruits, shucking the shells




Vintage Sea by Marion McCready published by Calder Wood Press.

I'm taking part in Brighton Blogger's Reading Challenge 2012.

8 comments:

Mimi Foxmorton said...

*smile*

Lavender Rabbit said...

Sounds lovely! Hope those skirts dry soon (haha!)

RG said...

I so got those two lines there - we were out along the river for several hours today in a steady drizzle - all the right gear but sopped anyway!

I hope you see a crossbill. Most amazing - how they eat is a conundrum to think about when you see the bill!

Marion McCready said...

Thankyou Juliet!! Not sure I should admit this but I've never seen a Crossbill either let alone a charm of them! The poem was commissioned as part of an anthology of British bird poems. I'm pleased you like the poem :)

The Weaver of Grass said...

I like this Juliet - I have only ever seen crossbills once and it was so exciting seeing them.

Cuby said...

Scottish weather/Cornish weather mch of a muchness apart from the temperature!! I like so many others have never seen a crossbill.

Wild_Bill said...

Wonderful words. I'm always amazed at how some can write with such efficiency, saying so, so much with so few words! Thanks for sharing this.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Rabbits Guy - yes those beaks sure look as though they'd make eating difficult

Marion - hmm, perhaps you shouldn't admit that!

Weaver - I'm very envious if you seeing crossbills (and I'm sure marion is too!)

Bill - i still can't comment on your blog, I enjoyed your latest post!