This is a lovely collection of original poetry. Divided into three sections - Some Early Poems, More About Thea, and Other Recent Poems - the theme of 'feast' and 'famine' is clearly defined,. Burch's wife Thea passed away in 1999, and the author clearly found poetry to be a consoling force in which he could write about his love and sense of loss. The cover of the book visualizes this evocatively, showing a garden half in sunlight, and a bird feeder with one side full and the other empty. The lone shadow of a person in the sunlit half of the garden symbolises well the displacement felt in bereavement.
Overall, the content of this collection is strong, although there are a few weaker poems lacking lustre that could easily have been left out. Despite the emotion behind his words, Burch maintains a strength and dignity in the most heartfelt of his poems, such as the wonderful 'Another Walk' and 'No Chariot, No Fire'. This collection is well worth purchasing, yet a more professional cover and closer proofreading should have been considered. James Burch is a fine poet that I look forward to reading again.
Phygtyles Press 106pp £7.99 0-9545053-2-8