Everything is Smoke: A Collection of Original Poetry

By Paul Edward Skirton

Everything is Smoke is a book of poetry unlike anything written in recent years.
The author uses plain language to invoke the most powerful senses – passion, pride, humour, whimsy – he takes you from the deepest grief to the highest exaltation and all stops in between. He takes raw emotions and imagery drawn from his own life to bring you the strongest experience of yourself as a human being.
A journey into this book is a journey into your own soul as each verse, each stanza, each individual poem will take you to the very extremes of your inner self.
It is the job of the poet to take the triumphs and tragedies, the victories and mundanities that we all experience and can never adequately express, and frame them in such a way as to make the heart quicken. Throughout this book you will experience beauty in the ordinary, wonder in the everyday and be lifted having been filled with the intricate depth of your own life.
You are invited dear reader to take these thoughts, these creations unto yourself and take from them all that you need to walk with renewed meaning and fulfilment.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: May 31, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398452688

Paul Edward Skirton

Paul Edward Skirton is an English poet and author. Born in the city of Bristol he grew up attending local comprehensive schools. His interest in writing and poetry didn’t start until much later in life when he started writing little birthday verses for friends. His first serious poem “Strength” was written in that vein. Since then he has written in earnest and amassed a large body of work. Paul currently resides in Bridgwater Somerset. Paul’s aim is to bring poetry back to the ordinary man and spark a renewed interest in the genre.

Book preview

About the Author

Paul Edward Skirton is an English poet and author. Born in the city of Bristol he grew up attending local comprehensive schools. His interest in writing and poetry didn’t start until much later in life when he started writing little birthday verses for friends. His first serious poem Strength was written in that vein.

Since then he has written in earnest and amassed a large body of work.

Paul currently resides in Bridgwater Somerset. Paul’s aim is to bring poetry back to the ordinary man and spark a renewed interest in the genre.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my mum, whose unwavering support and belief in me formed the foundation of this work.

Copyright Information ©

Paul Edward Skirton 2022

The right of Paul Edward Skirton to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398452671 Paperback)

ISBN 9781398452688 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Somerset Knight

Somerset Knight adorn resplendent,

With glinted eye of soul light pendant,

Will cavalry charge abandon free

And pierce faint heart with poetry.

Show Yourself

In poetry, display the heart,

Feeling raw to impart,

For it must play on spirit strings,

And tap into eternal springs.

When life and love and fear and win,

Call upon your mettle begin,

To lay it out for all to see,

And frame in heartfelt symmetry.

For when you do, another sees,

Discerning truth from sophistry,

And from their deep, a screaming plea

An anchor found in stormy seas.

From life and love and fear and win

In recognition just may begin,

To see the beauty hidden within,

From exaltation to buried sin.

To walk abroad afresh, anew,

All from a simple verse or two.

Quantock Mist

Blanket sky of monotone grey,

Descend to land as living shroud,

As gentle kiss of gratitude,

Of soft still touch mystery.

The air is somehow stopped,

As in this place modernity cropped,

Replaced by what was meant to be.

By round gorse and twisted tree.

The sound of drips and faint bird song,

In symphony of muse,

To harken soul yet not intrude,

For space and gentle interlude.

It’s as if in cosseted love,

Presented us a scene,

Long remembered yet forgot,

For heart string song in chorus sing.

And silvened glade of magic time,

With beating wing and call of crow,

Invoking hooded figure staffed,

From that yearned for golden past.

Then stretching limb of autumn hue,

In carpet of golden leaves,

Restrained beauty of life adorn,

These the beautiful Quantock Hills.

Strength

Who has the strength and who has the power?

Is it the mountain or is it the flower?

Is it the well or is it the tower,

Is it the minute or is it the hour?

Is it the tiger or is it the mouse

Is it the nest or is it the house?

Is it the elephant stomping away,

Or is it the butterfly flitting through hay?

What about water and what about fire,

Does love have the strength or is it desire?

The hammer smashes rock but the sponge is untouched,

The wind blows the tree down but another springs up.

That is the message, the real-life hack

When disaster strikes, bend and spring back

New things from old, just like the tree

That’s where true strength lies

And it overflows in thee.

The Magic Tin

I used to have a little blue tin,

I used it to keep different things in.

It came with me everywhere I went,

I knew every mark every scrape every dent.

It came with me when I moved down south

Hundreds of miles, past Avonmouth.