Closing Time

by Jeremy Page

Past and present often co-exist in these fresh, unflinching poems; childhood merges with old age, as the gains and losses of life are explored with clear-sighted tenderness and Page's characteristic precise observation and luminous imagery. His wry humour is also a delight; surreal fantasies of unlikely encounters and their consequences; ghosts jostle '...for space at the bar with their/more illustrious predecessors'. This is a collection where the poet's ghosts are brought into the light, and celebrated. Catherine Smith, poet

96 pages, Paperback

First published April 28, 2014

Reviews

[J.J. Amaworo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a terrific meditation on loss and longing. The objects of daily life – letters written by a younger self, a black and white photo of The Beatles circa 1965, a poetry anthology from 1946 – become totems that tie the narrator to the past. Page summons his ghosts and his artistic influences (Beckett figures heavily), and imagines parallel worlds in which Thomas Pynchon and Paris Hilton converse “deep into the night” and Marilyn and Elvis dance on Mars. The elegiac tone is leavened with flashes of humor and striking images that linger long in the mind. This is a wonderful collection - highly recommended.
JJ Amaworo Wilson