Small Dreams of a Scorpion

by Spike Milligan

Very good condition silver embossed hardcover, with unclipped dust jacket indicating original price of £1.05 net. Light shelf wear to the jacket, including creasing and nicks to the edges. Page block head is tanned. Pages and text are otherwise clear and unmarked throughout.

Genres: Poetry, Humor, Fiction, Comedy

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Terence Alan Patrick Seán Milligan, known as Spike, was a comedian, writer and musician. He was of Irish descent, but spent most of his childhood in India and lived most of his later life in England, moving to Australia after retirement. He is famous for his work in The Goon Show, children's poetry and a series of comical autobiographical novels about his experiences serving in the British Army in WWII. Spike Milligan suffered from bipolar disorder, which led to depression and frequent breakdowns, but he will be remembered as a comic genius. His tombstone reads 'I told you I was ill' in Gaelic.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful poems about life, loss and hope. This is another book that I picked up at a book sale at my favorite used book store. Spike Mulligan was a very interesting poet; quite a few of his poems deal with the time he spent fighting in WW II. His humor is often cutting, perhaps even grim. This book is a nice introduction to his style.

[Negar Khalili · Rating 3 out of 5]

درزندگی زخمی هست
نه دردی دارد به ظهر
نه از خونی از آن بیرون میزند.
این زن چنین زخمی زده به من؟
نه کبودی ای
نه جای زخمی
بدتر از همه اینکه
همه می گویند:چقدر سرحالی!!
...می بینی ترا به خدا!!
او مومیایی ام کرده است
زنده زنده..

[Jac Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of whether you are a Spike Milligan fan, there is no denying that the purpose of this book is a purging of said-poet. It achieves its purpose and instills within the reader a little of the poetic chaos that ruled said-poet's head.
The illustrations complete it. Without that, it would be a self-involved doldrum in my view. Instead, they complement and advance the worth of the poetry.
Do I recommend it?
I do if you are a Milligan fan, or one that has not yet discovered they are, and to all poets looking to put themselves in their poetry.
This is standard by which chaos is judged.

[Corienne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and witty poems that often deal with major historical events. The Children of Aberfan, The Soliders at Lauro, Values '68 and Korea are all hauntingly memorable.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I Suspected

There will be a time when it will end.
Be it parting
Be it death
So each passing minute with you
Pendulummed with sadness.
So many times
I looked long into your face.
I could hear the clock ticking.

[Michele Brenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that switched me on to poetry. I bought it for my Dad many years ago and ended up 'stealing' it back.

[Hamid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seek truth they said
All I find
The seed is lost
The ploughman -
Blind

[Dane Cobain · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of some of Milligan’s poetry, but it’s a little different to some of his other stuff because it’s less silly and playful and more harrowing. That’s because a bunch of these poems are actually written about Milligan’s mental health issues, and he was a high profile sufferer of depression even back when there was a stigma. Better still, there’s none of his usual casual racism present here. Yay.

[I Read, Therefore I Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of 41 poems/silly verse by Spike Milligan (4 of which are reprints) plus illustrations by Spike and 5 illustrations by his daughter, Laura Milligan. Although some of the verse sparks with Milligan’s zany wit, the majority are surprisingly sombre and political and tie in with Milligan’s anti-war, environmental interests. Sadly this book is out of print but is worth a read if you’re a Milligan completist.

[Arch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book with poems and short stories, light hearted with typical Milliganese.

[Wyktor Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spike Milligan's poetry! What more can one say.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good way to understand someone, experiencing at their art.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death Wish

Bury me anywhere,
Somewhere near a tree
Some place where a horse will graze
And gallop over me.

Bury me
Somewhere near a stream,
When she floods her banks
I'll give her thanks
For reaching out to me.

So bury me - bury me
In my childhood scene;
But please -
don't burn me
In Golders Green.

Italy 1944

A very random charity shop find for the princely sum of 30p, which seems a steal for a book which is over 50 years old.

Spike Milligan is well known for his comedy, especially as part of the Goon Show, but I didn't know he was also a poet.

This collection takes on mental health, often during his own troubles, social inequalities, and the futility of war. The themes are just a relevant today as they were when the poems were written, some dating back to the 1940s.

A real intriguing read which gave me insight into the person behind the comedy persona. 4 stars.

[Lana Kamennof-sine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea of Spike Milligan's writing persona, knowing of him only in his varied roles in The Goon Show. Well, this collection of poetry is an eye opener. There is wit, there is heart, there is a strong sense of right/wrong, environmentalism, brilliant plays on words & on your heart.
Now, it's on to find & read his other books.

[Alec Downie · Rating 5 out of 5]

God Made Night
but
Man Made Darkness

A friend recommended this and it could be one of the darkest books I have ever read. I knew Spike suffered from mental illness, I did not remotely understand the depths of his despair until I read these poems.

Heartbreaking honesty!

[Morwenna Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until this book, my knowledge of Spike Milligan stretched as far as his humorous poetry, the Goon Show, and that cameo he had in Life of Brian. I was thus expecting a much more lighthearted read than I got. However, the dark tone and subject matter of most of the poems was a vast success rather than a disappointment, helped by Milligan's powerful command of language. The unexpectedness of the gloom made it so much more impactful, as I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. I finished this collection of poems with a lot to think about, and with a newly heightened admiration for all Spike Milligan's complexities. Plan to read again very soon.

[Alex Mesman · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the first poetry books I read. Funny and sad at the same time. Good start if you want to introduce people to poetry.

[Ray Mwihaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark poetry has never been funnier than when expressed by Spike Milligan. I feel comfortable sharing my own after reading his. :)

[Tim Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some powerful poems
but mostly
Spike was very depressed.

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heart rending poems from a tortured, tormented man who also produced some of the funniest work I have ever heard or read. R.I.P Spike.

[Pouya_s · Rating 2 out of 5]

بعضی شعرها ( متن ها )بد نبودن ، بعضی هاش هم خوب بودن ولی بیشتر شبیه همون چیزی که مترجم در مقدمه اشاره کرده ( قطعاتی در دوران افسردگی ) بودند

[Owen Townend · Rating 5 out of 5]

A troubled comedian bears his soul in stunning verse.

I grew up with Spike Milligan's poetry for children and have recently had my attention drawn to his other writing. Small Dreams of a Scorpion collects poetry he wrote during introspective moments dealing with very adult issues.

They are often short and sometimes silly, two qualities that particularly appeal to me; but they also contain some potent metaphors for depression and the general human struggle. It astounds me how Milligan was able to produce such beautiful encapsulations of his darker moods, even while hospitalised with them.

Though the sign-offs might not be as serious as the stanzas that come before them, they take nothing away from the powerful feelings of frustration and yearning for life to make sense. The illustrations also offer surprising reinforcement of various moods and messages.

I can certainly see myself picking up this collection again and plucking out poetic descriptions of emotional conundrums and the absurdity of 'polite' society. For now though, I recommend Small Dreams of a Scorpion to those who loved On the Ning Nang Nong and are ready to graduate to Milligan's Opuses.

Notable Poems

• Values ’67 – a barbed send-up of brands and attitudes that sadly still pervade our culture.

• Oberon – a potent floral analogy for the lack of sensation following a nervous breakdown.

• Truth – a single five-line stanza that cuts straight to the heart of human ‘understanding’.

[Michael Hames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spike was a close friend over 30 years. this book is moving and his personality shines through. i have a first edition - not just that, but one of the first six that are sent to an author. it had a mistake or two, so Spike amended them in his own hand and the rest were pulped and reprinted. it is a treasured possession.

[Kyrene Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely enjoyed this book to a point it got me more excited about reading and poetry. I love how it has so much of the authors personality in it and this is the first book I’ve read from him. I love the chaos and darkness mixed with happy and sad emotions all at once. I love how simple and complex it is at the same time. I want to read it again and process it as slowly as possible.

[Mafamultixverse · Rating 3 out of 5]

You may think it is a silly poetry book once you start reading but the more you go thru it, you start to understand it starts to get real, the author starts to get depressed and you can see that clearly awhile he also is scared for the world he lives and him starting to doubt himself. Very interesting in a way will make you be thinking about what you just read.

[Esther · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, probably due to memories of reading his Silly Verse for Kids when I was young. Some of these short poems are very touching - one on the Aberfan disaster, others written during his periodic spells of mental illness. Very interesting.

[Oliver Umney · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite was ‘True Love’ - if nothing else this collection has stoked my desire to read more poetry.

[Rogue Male · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10

[Daiton Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small light book of poetry that only takes 10 mins to read. I enjoyed this more than I thought I would and found the majority of the poems really interesting

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pithy, witty, and honest.