Author’s Introduction To: ~

‘Edenbray in Exile’ ~ A Retrospective

An Anthology of Poetry, Articles and Essays

Written June 2012 ~ ongoing.

After the comparative success of my 1st Edenbray Retrospective of Poetry, Articles and Essays that was published on this, my newer Edenbray site at the turn of this year – between dates – November 6, 2019 and January 17, 2020 I promised that later this year I would re-publish a 2nd Edenbray Anthology of my work in common with the previous Retrospective’s aims – namely in purpose to act as an Introduction to my Writing for a whole new generation. 

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic which is absorbing so much of our creative thought right now and regrettably controlling my ‘flow’ and ability to write fresh and alive new works, unburdened by concerns over the epidemic I have decided to bring forward the moment for post/publishing this 2nd Retrospective Anthology of Edenbray Poems, Articles and Essays.

In my 1st Edenbray Retrospective I chose to re-post and publish a varied assortment of poems and essays written at different times over many years, some originally published as far back as the 1970’s but previously posted on my original Edenbray Site consecutively between December 2010 and June 2012.

 EDENBRAY >>> https://edenbray.wordpress.com/

I re-published these pieces pretty much in the same order that they 1st appeared with maybe a couple of exceptions but for this 2nd Anthology I have decided to ‘select’ a body of work rather than re-publish every single piece willy-nilly. Hopefully, this will enable me to improve the popularity of the site, hold a closer control on the body of work and establish a greater continuity.

I shall open this 2nd Retrospective Anthology of Edenbray’s Work with a lighter, happy piece to balance the sadness of the times we are currently living through.

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love is blue …

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We held hands as though we could not let each other fly

the silver sand glistened, the oh so sun, mad like fever

it was years since I had felt such tortured emotion

maybe a boy, maybe a young dancer on her toes

…

I had been sleeping, dreaming, caught in a salmon net

the plush, lush attendant stream rushing on sweet n’ chilli

brown and greenie, full a’ windswept moments when

I had kissed a speck of food away from her blushing cheek

…

Harrowing as was enduring the torture of her shaming jest

I got above the stammer of purple-flowers, petals strewn and ‘okward

I made a George mailed fist and took the wee dragon halfway down

still day had turned t’night before I could think on forgiving her face

…

Meanwhile Marmaduke, a busy feline, wandered through our door 

caused a marmalade confusion which separated my mind

such the value of the kingdom of nature, not all at once

where eagles bronze or russet deer splash wonder on our pallet

…

Love on the other hand, a frightened bird, a statesman’s promise

not one, or neither but both – wrapped in ermine, fur and lace

cherished like a tailors scissor, buffed, rubbed hard, honed

not lonely in the garden, an unused can, a vow broken, a statue

…

writtenbyedenbray12.09.2013

..

#Author’s note ~ ‘Love is blue’ – is in fact, a love poem written – 12.09.2013 – I don’t write many of these. Don’t get too excited – ‘Love is blue’ – like the sky on a spring morning – fresh, transparent, full of sun and hope! This piece attempts to address that feeling of 1st love infatuation. Giddy love, where you lose your ‘oldness’, your inhibitions and your reservations in favour of a youthful silliness, which is entirely ‘contagious’ and engaging in the friendliest way. You’ve put your love-shades on and you feel ‘alive’.

It also touches on that more uncomfortable and painful part of love which can be scary – ‘okward’. There are several pain-filled references we might find fairly topical and current within our vocabulary right now – fever, tortured emotion, harrowing, torture – again, a statesman’s promise is kind of pertinent also. In this way it makes a nice antidote to how things are at present and reminds us what ‘normal’ life is usually like if ‘being in love’ can be termed ‘normal’. There are also a fair few cracking lines  – ‘I had been sleeping, dreaming, caught in a salmon net’ and ‘Love on the other hand, a frightened bird, a statesman’s promise’ to mention just two. The pic. is of my wife when she was 18 and we were ”giddy’ lovers. Really hope you ‘love’ it. – eb