Observatory

By Alison J Schultz

The author is a writer and musician from the Wirral Peninsular, who has a background in the teaching of English up to Post-Graduate level. She has written poetry, and been in love with the power of words her whole life. Her first full volume of poetry, Eyes on the Bright Horizon was published in 2018 and is available online.
This second collection of poems, which focuses on other peoples’ stories, was gathered from conversation and speculation.
The artwork is by Aine Smith, a multi-media artist who spends her time between New York State near the Canadian Border, and Wicklow, both of which have plenty of headspace for creativity.

Reviews online of the previous volume;
“This poet sees the ordinary things in life, which so many of us tend to overlook or ignore, and she writes of them insightfully, cheerfully, and in a way which is anything but ordinary.”
“A breathtakingly beautiful way with words.”
“very moving.”
“Poignant and lovely.”
“Poems so full of emotion I am in tears reading them.”
“Uplifting and inspirational.”

www.facebook.com/alisonjschultzpoetry

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Jan 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781665583619

Alison J Schultz

Alison Schultz has been writing and reading poetry for much of her life. She studied English Literature and History at Keele University and has taught exam students from 16 to Post Graduate level. Her lifelong obsession with the power and beauty of words extends to her secondary career as a singer and occasional commissioned composer for theatre productions. Photography is another passion. She lives on the beautiful Wirral Peninsular, in the North West of England, with her husband, dogs and parrot. She has 2 daughters and two grandsons who are a great joy to her. None of these delights is diminished by the fact she has MS. The snail illustration used throughout is an uncredited 1875 ink drawing, and refers to the pet name used by the Authors Father.

Book preview

© 2021 Alison j Schultz. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/18/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8362-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8361-9 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Preface

Paper Souls

Viral

The Sounds of our Land

Shackleton’s List

Harvest

Harvest Moon

Chet Baker at first light

The Sunflowers of Passignano

Freefall

Turn your face away

Mags

Weaver of spells

Conversation in the woods

Faded

Sextant

Padlocks and chains

Permanent

Washing Line

Vaporised

Arena

Darien Chest

Pearl

Aber Soch

Teabags in the toaster

Not just yet

Pulling down statues

Highwaymen

Dunstanburgh

Who was John Bush?

Until we meet again

Words of Fire

Dreams of White Horses

Ice cream Queens

The Late Shift

The Ghost Light

The great Divide

Burning

Lost in his own museum

Valeria

Straw and Velvet

Punishment

Blacksmith

The First to Hear the News

Corfe Castle

The sounds of the singing ice

Hunters’ Moon

Invalid

Gone Wild

Billy and the Admiral

Second Hand

Grace

Blue beard

Wildfire

Rumplestiltskin

The Healing Touch of Music and Water

Upsticks and away

Lime Street

Shiva

Time Out

Jane’s Uncle Arthur

Old Year/New Year

Holocaust Day

Oxford Librarian

Primavera

A Bit of Hush

Wedding Dress

Botanical

Little Visitors

Bidston

Oysters

Sea Salt

Food Banks and Ferraris

Make-up drawer

Cathedral

Tower of Strength

Invisible Witness

Scape Goat

Made new

Choices

Tribal

Dusk

The Furthest Summit

Old Peculiar

Drag Diva

Waiting

Remember

Wilderness

East o’ Hills

The Art of Precious Scars

Island

PREFACE

This is my second volume of poetry, and I set myself the challenge of looking for a different source of inspiration; to actively seek out stories, images and experiences to write about, rather than waiting for the poems to come on their own. This search took various forms.

One was to ask people I encountered for moments, and this brought some real gems. Another was to sit and watch people pass, a situation for which I am particularly suited because I have MS and use a mobility scooter. In addition, my husband and I are musicians, and some lovely moments came from festivals, street corners and chats.

The truth is that daily life is a richly abundant source of stories and inspiration, and I did not have to look very hard. I hope you enjoy the outcome and I would very much welcome feedback at www.facebook.com/alisonjschultzpoetry

A good friend, who is an engineer, said that to simply read the poems for himself was like giving him sheet music and expecting it to come to life: he only really got it when he heard me reading. To hear me reading the poems for you please follow the link.

Paper Souls

26264.png

The gold edged leaves of books

Are the rustling souls of trees;

Their voice speaks at a page turn;

Each word is wind-whispered

And to place them on shelves

Is to send them home to the wood.

Yet in the hands of a child or lover

Of other lives, the turning pages

Unfurl their magic, and even at night

In the unlit libraries or under bed covers

Their myriad voices swirl in murmurations.

Viral

26264.png

Out in the dusky garden, among the flowers

And the fairy lights, the gentle fountain-trickle,

The air is startlingly quiet, free of air traffic,

Rippled only by an occasional car on empty roads.

Each liquid cascade of notes from the throats of birds

Is, at last, given its due gravitas…echoing, hanging