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THE BOOK OF HOPES AND DREAMS
Edited by Dee Rimbaud (bluechrome publishing 2006)
This poetry anthology, which features work from some of the top poets writing
today, is a charity anthology, which we hope will raise thousands of pounds for
Spirit Aid, who are working tirelessly in the Baglan Province of North East
Afghanistan to try to provide basic medical cover for people who have received
little or none over the last quarter century, because of invasions and internal
conflict
which have adversely affected their region in particular.
Spirit Aid is headed by the humanitarian Scottish actor and director, David
Hayman, who first came to prominence for his starring role in 'A Sense Of
Freedom' (the biopic of notorious Glasgow hardman-turned-sculptor, Jimmy Boyle). Like Jimmy Boyle, David Hayman came from a severely deprived area of Glasgow, but he found salvation and escape through his abilities as an actor. He
never forgot his roots, and he founded the charity Spirit Aid, to help young
people whose lives have been devastated by war; genocide; poverty; abuse or lack
of opportunity at home and abroad.
Contributions from Simon Armitage, Margaret Atwood, Moniza Alvi, Alan Brownjohn,
David Constantine, Cyril Dabydeen, Carol Anne Duffy, Ian Duhig, Ruth Fainlight, Vicki Feaver, Elaine Feinstein, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Charles Ades Fishman, Magi Gibson,
Alasdair Gray, Tony Harrison, John Heath-Stubbs, Michael Horovitz, Mimi Khalvati, Tom Leonard, Robert Mezey, Edwin Morgan, Lawrence Sail, Penelope Shuttle, Jon Stallworthy, Anne Stevenson and many others.
Review By Graham Burchell
I must admit, this is the first time that I have reviewed a complete anthology of
poems. How does one go about it? I was bound to ask. Should I just read it at
leisure and hope it left some lasting affect on me, or should I take copious notes?
In the event, I read it all (88 poems, I think) in one sitting, making the odd jottings along the way about the general feel and sway, and about those lines or poems that
hit me between the eyes. By the time I had finished I was metaphorically bleeding from that small space above the bridge of my nose. I cannot remember a time when
I read so many poems together that individually and collectively had such a
profound affect on me. It was like a damned good massage! I say this with
confidence even though I have never actually had a massage, nor want one.
So, I am reposing on the psychiatrist's couch (again!), and scratching his graying beard the psychiatrist says, "for each word that I read out, I want you to say the
first thing that comes into your head." I nod. He flips the page on his notepad.
"Afghanistan".
"War," I reply.
"Children."
"Orphans."
"Spirit Aid."
"A large tent - a makeshift hospital in the desert."
"Baglan Province."
"Where?"
You can see where I am going with this. By the time I finished Dee Rimbaud's
introduction about the relevance of Spirit Aid and this anthology of poems to
support it, and then read David Hayman's account of his experiences in Baglan
Province, North Eastern Afghanistan, I was ready to read a collection of poems
about the futility and horrors of War, and the harm inflicted upon the innocent,
particularly children. I had temporarily lost sight of the fact that this anthology is
entitled, 'The Book Of Hopes And Dreams'; that it is intended to give hope - be
uplifting for both the desperate people of Baglan, and well-fed readers. The book
certainly delivers. From the funny feel-good of Simon Armitage's poem about a
curious ancient clock in Wells Cathedral or Ian Duhig's 'From The Irish' through to the more haunting 'Prayer' by Carol Ann Duffy (my personal favorite), there is
every kind of beauty. The lines within these pages pushed me, pulled me, jerked me sideways, gave me hope, made me sigh, reflect, want to change and because I am a poet myself, made me want to write. Perhaps I will attempt something uplifting
next time - so much more difficult to do well than doom and gloom I usually find.
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