Paul Sutherland ( of Servant of the Loving One)

Paul Sutherland made a comment on his review of New and Selected Poems " Upon reading Paul Sutherland’s masterful New & Selected Poems by Valley Press an extract from the poem Where Are You by Jean-Louis N-Tadi help summon ...more "
Jun 18, 2026 07:52AM · see review
Paul Sutherland has read New and Selected Poems by Paul Sutherland (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Revew of New and Selected Poems, Hannah Stone. New and Selected Poems by Paul Sutherland Valley Press ISBN: 978-1-908853-77-6 pp380 £20 Sutherland’s meaty collection is broken into multiple sections, reflecting different stages of his many decades as a ...more
Jun 18, 2026 07:43AM · like · see review
Paul Sutherland rated a book it was amazing Ramadan Conscience by Paul Aw Sutherland	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Ramadan Conscience is a deeply reflective and spiritually charged work that explores the essence of Ramadan through poetry, personal narratives, and meditative prose. The book navigates the author's lived experiences, drawing on themes of faith, tran ...more
May 31, 2026 04:36AM · like · see review
Paul Sutherland liked Hellen's review of Journeying: "Journeying is a collection of rare and lasting power. Paul Sutherland, Canadian-British poet and Sufi aspirant, has crafted what may be the defining work of his fifty-year writing career a book that uses physical movement as the architecture for some" Read more of this review »
May 08, 2026 01:38AM · see review
Paul Sutherland rated a book it was amazing Journeying by Paul Sutherland (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 08, 2026 01:24AM · like
Paul Sutherland liked Mohammad Labid Hossain 's review of Poems on the Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Composed During Ramadan and Shawwal 2012: "এখানে থাকা কবিতাগুলোর মধ্যে ৪ টা অসাধারণ লেগেছে "
Apr 24, 2026 07:15AM · see review
Paul Sutherland is now following Mohammad Labid Hossain and Helen Hagon
Apr 24, 2026 07:15AM
Paul Sutherland made a comment on 'Child Roots' by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland — Child Roots? Explored from an Islamic point of view " Child Roots by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali Paul Sutherland’s collection of poems in this book indicates the poetic style of his age. His themes, however, are subt ...more "
Apr 16, 2026 08:08AM
Paul Sutherland has read New and Selected Poems Paul Sutherland by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Antony Owen Upon reading Paul Sutherland’s masterful New & Selected Poems by Valley Press, an extract from the poem Where Are You by Jean-Louis N-Tadi helped summon up the impression it made upon me: Where are you, Brothers, sisters, sons ...more
Apr 16, 2026 07:35AM · like · see review

Paul Sutherland made a comment on his review of New and Selected Poems

New and Selected Poems by Paul Sutherland

" Upon reading Paul Sutherland’s masterful New & Selected Poems by Valley Press an extract from the poem Where Are You by Jean-Louis N-Tadi help summon ...more "

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New and Selected Poems
by Paul Sutherland (Goodreads Author)

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Revew of New and Selected Poems, Hannah Stone.

New and Selected Poems by Paul Sutherland Valley Press ISBN: 978-1-908853-77-6 pp380 £20

Sutherland’s meaty collection is broken into multiple sections, reflecting different stages of his many decades as a Revew of New and Selected Poems, Hannah Stone.

New and Selected Poems by Paul Sutherland Valley Press ISBN: 978-1-908853-77-6 pp380 £20

Sutherland’s meaty collection is broken into multiple sections, reflecting different stages of his many decades as a wordsmith and sojourner, and capturing his personal and spiritual progressions. Many of them are autobiographical in nature, disclosing a pattern of migration and belonging, a sense of being tethered to family roots whilst also feeling rootless and restless: he describes experiencing himself as an ‘intimate alien’, when flying back to the UK (where he has lived for over fifty years) from a visit to family in Canada. This unsettledness acts as grit in the oyster, forming the basis of many of his poems. The complex threads of personal and communal history in his native land surface clearly in some of these poems, though he also honours his current home in Lincolnshire, and records visits to Cyprus, York, Oxford, the United States, Scotland and more. Although billed as New and Selected Poems, there are significant chunks of prose in some of the selections, for example in ‘Spires and Minarets’ (which captures ‘impressions in poems and prose’ of walking through the Lincolnshire fens); ‘Long Sutton Day’ and ‘Finding a Blue Door in Oxford’ also feature journal-style entries, punctuated by short poems which resemble haiku:

fresh green seduces
someone endeared turns their back
on the world again

The economy of terse three line stanzas clearly appeals to him, although elsewhere we find passages with more extended lyricism, such as the evocative lines from ‘No Trains in Cyprus’;

‘…on the fens,
so primed for flight, assembled swans
all at once hesitate. Afternoon passes.’

Sutherland’s spiritual transition into a Sufi Muslim permeates his later work, though extracts from a sequence of poems on Holy Week demonstrate that his spirituality reaches beyond this to an appreciation for Christian mysticism. Sometimes we are given notes to provide context or further information, such as the glossary of Scottish terms at the end of the two Scotland and the Isles poems; however this assistance is not offered for the poems about Sutherland’s Sufi beliefs. A more consistent approach to providing notes would really support the reader in fully appreciating these poems (I tried and failed to find out about Naheebahweequay, though I presume I got close with the variant spelling Nahnebahwequay?). I imagine this inconsistency in approach is due to the ‘collected’ nature of work from many different sources, some of which may have adopted a different approach to endnotes. As Ian Duhig notes in his endorsement ‘epic and intimate scales overlap’; in the massive output represented here are forays into erotic encounters; tender moments of farewell (‘Washing your Corpse’ is a stand out piece); questions to be answered about how time and memory are experienced; juxtaposed to these ‘big’ issues are apparently trivial conversations with fellow travellers, the contents of shelves in grocery stores and other quotidian minutiae. Such a weighty tome demands repeat visits to mine all its treasures.

Hannah Stone
published in Dream Catcher 51 ...more

Paul Sutherland rated a book it was amazing

Ramadan Conscience
by Paul Aw Sutherland

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Ramadan Conscience is a deeply reflective and spiritually charged work that explores the essence of Ramadan through poetry, personal narratives, and meditative prose. The book navigates the author's lived experiences, drawing on themes of faith, tran ...more

Paul Sutherland liked Hellen's review of Journeying:

"Journeying is a collection of rare and lasting power. Paul Sutherland, Canadian-British poet and Sufi aspirant, has crafted what may be the defining work of his fifty-year writing career a book that uses physical movement as the architecture for some" Read more of this review »

Paul Sutherland rated a book it was amazing

Journeying
by Paul Sutherland (Goodreads Author)

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Paul Sutherland liked Mohammad Labid Hossain 's review of Poems on the Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Composed During Ramadan and Shawwal 2012:

Poems on the Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland

"এখানে থাকা কবিতাগুলোর মধ্যে ৪ টা অসাধারণ লেগেছে "

Paul Sutherland is now following Mohammad Labid Hossain and Helen Hagon

Paul Sutherland made a comment on 'Child Roots' by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland — Child Roots? Explored from an Islamic point of view

'Child Roots' by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland by Unknown Author

" Child Roots
by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali
Paul Sutherland’s collection of poems in this book indicates the poetic style of his age. His themes, however, are subt Child Roots
by Dr. Zulfiqar Ali
Paul Sutherland’s collection of poems in this book indicates the poetic style of his age. His themes, however, are subtle and soul-stirring. On the whole, the poet describes his point of view by focussing on the mind of children observed through a mature sensibility of a learned poet in an ironic way. The main vision glitters throughout this book throwing light on the child-man poetic interaction. In ‘A Day trip to primary school’ we see the darker side of life as the child’s ‘horrid cuddle’ may suggest the state of trauma. ‘Crushed heart’ seems to be the ultimate truth of life. Childhood is the time when children as in this poem are at school that join and ‘…wave hands like reeds along each lowland road.’ ‘Lake’ like the ‘fanned peacock’ girl is ‘colourful’ in ‘A little girl by the lake’ at Biyyam Kayal near Ponanni. The poet observes the mirror as well as his own ‘aged hands’ and realized that he is growing old, unlike this pure, pristine lake, for, ‘there’s not a wrinkle on the lake.’ Sutherland sites the same purity of soul in a five years old Emma in ‘A traveller’s vignette for Enna as ‘who sought the scent of everything’ – a reminiscence of ‘The Solitary Reaper.’
A glimpse of old age is given in ‘The painted turtle.’ The gaze of the turtle remains fixed ‘above the surface into the horizon suggesting the life hereafter ‘with slow reflection’ like a ‘grandfather. ’
With what love and care a child cherishes its toy is described in the prose caption ‘A passing teddy bear in the hand of a boy.’ The child believes the toy to be his closest partner, into whose life and self he could merge and become one without ‘friction’ just ‘deflect danger or punishment.’ ‘Friction’ alludes to ‘danger or punishment.’ Children are expected to think on these lines – what a universal truth.
‘A soft snout’ ‘A sort of kid ant-eater’ suggests the heart full of innocent hope which does not beg ‘armour’ of worldly ambition. The poem ‘This time’ explores the mystery of a child’s mind, excited by the spirit of finding out that which has ‘disappeared.’ The ‘un-obscure’ – of this flat world remains monotonous. In ‘animals she knows’ subtle impressions of nature look like the innocent animals to a child, such as the full moon which throws light on ‘white zebra band’; ‘Tiger Lilies/ roar’ across ‘iron fence’ and the ‘Gold Fish surface’ that ‘mutter’ with bewilderment. ‘Pink petals’ as a child caressing ‘grave-stone-head’ is amazing. ‘Chalk’ is a thoughtful note on a community which is peaceful and prosperous. The communal, family harmony of relationship mirrors the happy mood of its children. Children are quick to respond to the disturbance caused by the smear of the tyres. The smear might mean the dent of an accident on the road of life generation after generation. In ‘Grieving for Farrah’ describes his emotional attachment with Farrah. Like ‘strawberry’ pickers and ‘slim ball-roller,’ Farrah is no more except in the vicinity of his memory ‘who keeps on hooting.’ ‘My granddaughter battles the sea with a red plastic sea’ is a profound poem. A child playing wet sandy waves may suggest the mortal time into which humans are thrown, to face the buffets ‘watch out, my daughter’/ the combers are tall as you.’ ‘Waves’ is also the souls that disappear ‘beyond the horizon.’ In ‘Drying coconuts’ the coconuts enjoy a perfect intimacy with the heat of the sun or nature. Such closeness cultivates the capacity to ‘absorb immeasurable changes’ unlike the builders who ‘leave…new window sills and doors’ / ‘never to be perfected.’ The assimilative coconuts are like the heart of a mother ever willing to embrace her child with all the maternal warmth. In ‘Rippling Colours’ the children stand for a cosmopolitan community of all faiths. Because of apprehended violence on religious grounds, the members of various faiths need protection. In this poem, teachers are there for this. Though, these teachers may as well be the spiritual mentors of their followers. In ‘For Ben on a rainy Christmas Eve’ the ‘shamanistic visitor’ looks for a soul pure like the ‘love a toddler.’ The beauty of such a pure soul is that beyond the mundane onslaughts of the warring elements of nature, it pines to find solace by being a host to the sleigh of Santa Claus. In ‘Among Children’ the children note the poet’s age as ‘your chin’s camouflaged!’ not knowing what the poet thinks. The latter observes their behaviour and what they talk about passing comments. The children are innocent in manifesting their inner feelings mainly to exert their identities. Ali impresses his friends by saying that daisy petals ‘smell like lavender.’ The girl shows her displeasure at her nickname. The children vie among themselves over the butterfly landings as if the eventual row between the British and the Americans regarding the execution of the strategic calculation of right time and day during the epic Burgundy landings.
In ‘Papa’s and Grandma’s place’ the cosy and homely self perceives ‘the other’ in the dwelling place of the grandparents only three blocks away. The grandparent’s house preserves history, the social self for being hosts to visitors. The way to their home is across the houses whose dwellers, especially the juvenile are noticed as being provocative and inciting. The other, therefore, is not necessarily the one who speaks another language or has a different colour but it could be anyone within one’s own circle. In ‘Winter falls’ the awe-inspiring mystery of the behaviour of winter is described. First, several lines propose the coming of winter like the children in a playfield. In the next part of the poem, we read some of the finest verses of the English genre: how the river waves play hide and seek by reacting to the severity of winter. Towards the end, we are reminded of the pain of departing. Pain is also the pain of the severity of winter and its impact on the ground covering everything into its snowy white folds.
Miscellaneous themes weave through the whole collection: reiterating the wizard observations of a mature poetic self. The universal truths are glimpsed through the mind and activity of children in particular. Paul Sutherland connects human sensibility with nature, which connection we all need desperately. We are hemmed in by the harmful effects of technology unknowingly. Besides, Sutherland is equally marvellous in capturing the feelings of old age when we long to let in the ‘loved’ ones to visit us through ‘the hidden serpentine tracks.’ The ‘gate-keeper’s call’ may anticipate the hinge of the door into the next world as we read in the poem ‘from Seven Earth Odes, V, The Words’ (p.70). this is the final stage of life ‘when yearning’s exhausted.’ ...more "

Paul Sutherland has read

New and Selected Poems Paul Sutherland
by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland

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Reviewed by: Antony Owen

Upon reading Paul Sutherland’s masterful New & Selected Poems by Valley Press, an extract from the poem Where Are You by Jean-Louis N-Tadi helped summon up the impression it made upon me:

Where are you,
Brothers, sisters, sons ...more

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	Servant of the Loving One by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland, Paul Sutherland (Goodreads Author) 4.87 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2021 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Poems on the Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Composed During Ramadan and Shawwal 2012 by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland, Paul Sutherland (Goodreads Author) 3.60 avg rating — 15 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Journeying 4.55 avg rating — 11 ratings — published 2012 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Only Words it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 6 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Children's Routes and Red Streamers it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Leopard and The Sea Turtle by Paul Abdul Wadud Sutherland, Paul Sutherland (Goodreads Author) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Seven Earth Odes 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2004	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	New and Selected Poems 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Ramadan Conscience 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2025	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Child Roots 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2023	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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