Norman Bissett's new poetry collection, Painting the Bridge, exceeds expectations, with 200 multiple form and size poems on a wide variety of topics. The poems, which are set out in title alphabetical order, are crafted with care and experience.
Norman Bissett Writes with Culture from Street Level
Although Norman worked with the British Council for thirty years, many abroad, his observations are from street level rather than up on high: the world seen from his Edinburgh home or on his recent holidays.
Many poems would not seem out of place amongst the Beat literature or even Punk lyrics, and if Kerouac’s On The Road is a road map for youth, Norman’s Painting the Bridge could be one for middle-age.
Poetry about a Historic Time
Some of the poems reminisce about the Edinburgh of Norman’s childhood, and it is wonderful for anybody who has visited the city to read poems of its past characters and glories.
Norman is now a grandfather, and it is poignant to read him reminisce about his Grandad, which stretches the timeline back another couple of generations. We are transported back to some of Norman’s earliest memories, another age now visible only in recorded history, and his recall of the preferences of a man from an earlier era:
‘He loved fish ‘n’ chips,
haggis ‘n’ neeps,
mince ‘n’ tatties,
stew with dumplings....’
Poetic Hopes for Future Generations
Norman now has grandchildren, and his hopes for future generations shine through as much as the pride he has for his past:
‘My grandson, Max, is only one year old,
as of last week...
he is a walking university,
deep and unfathomable as the sea.’
The World Retains its Natural Wonder in Old Age
Although he laments the passing of the more bountiful world he grew up in, and misses the birds of his childhood, Norman is obviously still amazed and intrigued at the world and its life forms, and his love of nature is obvious.
Seemingly insignificant flora and fauna have been observed and obviously found interesting enough to be recorded in poetry.
However, it is horses that seem to be Norman’s biggest animal passion, as they are a recurrent theme, and Not Warhorses ends:
‘Snickering softly,
these innocent, magnificent embodiments of goodness
nuzzle each other, standing neck to neck.’
The above examples are just a few of the many heart-warming and exquisitely crafted poems in Norman Bissett's Painting the Bridge, published by Indigo Dreams Publishing.
Sources
Norman Bissett, Painting the Bridge, Indigo Dreams Publishing, 2010.
Marc Latham - Doctor of Philosophy and experienced freelance writer searching for truth and meaning, and reporting it in clear and concise copy.
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