'Ssh, by John Eliot

A new poet, a new collection. ‘Ssh (love the title), is by the poet, John Eliot, who is quietly coming on the scene. It is also illustrated by Anne Lamali with a series of line drawings which are peppered throughout the text and really do complement the total.
This collection of short poems, many bullet-like, are as beautiful as they are disturbing, haunting in their narratives of lives lived poorly, sometimes well, but always honestly. It seems this collection has taken Eliot decades to write, and it shows a range of styles and experimentation.
 
I have learned that Eliot is also a novelist, though he goes by a different name for that. But although the name might be different, the skill is still evident and the novelist’s urge towards narration is there in many of the poems. You can see and hear it in poems like “Changing A Fuse” and the series of character sketches which include “The Farmer” and “The Widow.”
 
I do like to tell readers about new voices, and it pleases me to add this to the list. ‘Ssh is an excellent collection and well worth reading. Be prepared to be moved. You can find it here.