My eighteenth book (and eighth poetry), Never Seventeen is a collection of modern, haiku-like moments written over the last few years. Published in Oct 2018 by Publish & Print.
This is my second full ‘haiku‘ collection, although others can be found threaded amongst the pages of Roadkill, Reclaiming The Beat and Wales Trails.
As I mention in the introduction to my first collection I have always found the habit of forcing a feeling or the capturing of something special into three short lines and seventeen syllables rather silly. And so just like my first effort I hope that none of these poems fit this rigid and unhelpful pattern. To be honest though I haven’t checked.
More experienced and intuitive readers might also think that many of my own so-called haiku are no such thing at all, and that is fine. I’m certainly not going to argue.
This book simply hopes to capture those numerous fleeting moments, mostly my observations of nature, and quite often human nature, that I have been fortunate to experience. I hope you enjoy them.
Review:
“This collection of modern, haiku-like moments is an absolute joy. Beautifully honest, these short, simple poems are extremely easy to read yet are constructed with great artistry and wisdom. Lewis’s poetry is honest, relatable, eloquent yet quite breath taking. He possesses a rare vision and this collection will surely bring any reader to an enlightened state of self-awareness. Powerfully expressed he captures both universal human experience and many of those particular struggles that we face at some point in our lives.
Lewis should be at the forefront of a poetry renaissance and this stunning work will breathe new life into the art form, communicating, as he does, complex emotions subtly weaved within razor-sharp observations – he distils life down to a bare minimum. Never Seventeen is a book to dip into over and over again and one which reveals more with each read.” – Andrew Davies
This book can be purchased as a paperback for £7.99 (plus postage) or as an e-book for £3.99.
Sample poems:
ocean art class
driftwood, seaweed, shells
walking from Tenby to Penally
silence after sighs
the river still dripping
from the kingfisher
Roshach’s jackdaws
spilled across a blue and white sky
questioning my sanity each Tuesday
the FTSE up
on the wine bar TV
more ‘Spice’ victims in the park
buttercups and daisies shake
as the old horse ambles along
– summer field
getting to know myself better
the Kalahari
through the truck window
garden spider weaving
an old world map
autumn dew becoming sea
Reviews:
“Although written in a very simple and accessible style these haiku-like poems have hidden depths. I have never been a big fan of the form but the mesmerizing poetry in this collection had my total attention. Poignant at times, intriguing at others and often socially realistic, the poems reveal as much about the character of the poet as they do about the world he describes. A thoroughly captivating read.” – John Short
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