Old & UnWise - A Haphazard Collection of Poetry and Thought

by Stephen Buttigieg

Life is chaotic. Sometimes it makes sense, often it doesn't. And the older we get the more we realise the latter is true. Old & UnWise is a collection of poems that tries to make sense of the world. It questions humanity, highlights social issues and ponders the effect we are having on our planet. However the book is also a reflection of the poet. A fifty something father, husband, coach who likes to enjoy life as well as think about it. So interspersed with poems that contemplate life there are those that speak of emotions, delve into fantastic stories or simply discuss, If Ducks had Elbows. 

258 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2024

Reviews

[Reader Views · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poetry has a way of creeping into our lives. For those who write poetry, they capture the moments of poetical inspiration. They put their emotions and thoughts into verse. They look at life differently and write poems all about it. That’s what you’ll find here in this book, “Old and UnWise: A Haphazard Collection of Poetry and Thought” by Stephen Buttigieg.

This is a collection of poems the author wrote over the course of many years of his life, writing about love, loss, grief, and life. He wrote poems about poems, about writing, and about work. Some of his poems are borne out of whimsical notions and silly ideas. There are also dark poems, some of them which could be considered horror poems. There are poems of fantasy and poems of nature. And within some of the poems of nature are reminders of what we could lose should we cease to care about the preservation of it.

Like every good writer, and especially a poet, Buttigieg will occasionally play with words and choose just the right ones to evoke a chuckle or a sigh. Altogether, they draw the reader in and provide a pleasant reading experience for anyone who enjoys reading poetry.

These poems are on a variety of topics. It would seem that the author has written these poems at various points in his life. There are poems about people and places. About grief and death. Even silly poems. I loved the poem about the carrot called Earl (poor Earl!). Sometimes there are silly poems or there are silly words and silly verses.

Here is a verse from one of the silly poems Lost in Your Spaghetti:

Have you ever been lost in your spaghetti
tracing the noodly paths
that swirl and crisscross
the tomato sauce sea
I have (page 18)

Some of the poems are rhythmic, almost like a chant, or a rap, or a song. This passage from A Dimwit’s Ditty is an example:

Some liken me
to the maddest of hatters
But that’s really OK
‘cos their opinion don’t matter (page 15)

I also liked the little notes at the bottom of the pages of some of the poems, such as:

It is better to be late than to swallow a porcupine. (page 33)

Some of them are also silly.

But there’s so much more than that in this collection of poems. The poem The Abandoned Child takes on a more somber tone, and Two Sides to a Battlefield is both serious and sad. Lost Works of Art is a very touching poem, one which the author notes was written for World Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The poems Scratch, Scratch and The Unwanted Tenant both had surprises at the end, which made me realize what the poems were really about. I had fun trying to read Grammar Wars, though I realized after reading the cipher later in the book, that I got some of it wrong! And I was unable to read the poem that was in the Maltese language (though I salute the author for including it!).

My favorite poem is To My Inner Child because it captures how we feel about our inner child so well. I especially like this quote at the end:

My child within
Your adult without
We will go neither with whimper
nor with shout
Just simply together
As one
When our time is done (page 199)

I also really liked the poem A Prayer. This verse right here captures the soul of a poet, a sentiment all poets must feel:

I want life in its purest form
Defined by the seasons
Painted by the elements
Etched with the energy of the cosmos
I want my thoughts to float
carried on an autumn leaf
Caught on a mind stream of cryptic colours
Untainted by the borders of civilisation (page 214)

“Old and UnWise” is a collection of poems of one poet’s life but also of several other things surrounding the lives of many. The people, places, and things that exist within and without. The moments we hope will live on in memory and those that can touch our hearts. This collection of poetry is one I really enjoyed reading and I feel it will be enjoyed by readers who like to indulge in collections of verse.

[Denis Smyth Díaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely collection of poetry. The author does something really hard, in my view, which is to maintain a consistent level of high quality even with different styles. In some cases I just read a poem and then closed the book for the day, and spent hours mulling over what I'd read. Strongly recommended.

[William Hayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Old & UnWise offers a wonderful exploration of various emotions and themes, ranging from playful and whimsical to deeply meaningful. The author demonstrates remarkable versatility, effortlessly shifting between lighthearted and serious tones while keeping an engaging narrative voice. It’s evident that this poet possesses not only talent but also a profound sense of insight and warmth. I often found myself smiling, pausing and contemplating. I highly recommend this collection to anyone who appreciates poetry that inspires thought, joy, and deep feelings.