Hope, Beauty and Friendship

By John Angus Walker-Smith

This selection of poems by a new author was triggered by the tragic death of his 28-year-old daughter. So the collection begins with loss and the aftermath of loss: the hope of the author that his daughter and he may be reunited in the life to come. This hope underlies many of the poems. This is clearly articulated in ‘Osler and Son’, where a father grieves for loss of his son in World War I but in a stoical, unexpressed manner.
The author records his childhood experience of emotions being held back in ‘Boys Don’t Cry John’. While some poems look back, most are contemporary, such as those inspired by the lockdown and the Ukraine War.
The author advocates expression of feelings. This is powerfully expressed in relation to his experience of Friendship, both past and present. Transcendental beauty is a theme in the metaphysical poems ‘The Colour Blue’ and ‘Roman Glass’.
However, each poem is unique. Many of them speak from the heart and have an emotional impact. The author hopes that these will resonate with readers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Oct 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781035833917

John Angus Walker-Smith

John Walker-Smith is an Australian with dual British citizenship. He is a medical graduate of the University of Sydney and is now Emeritus Professor of Paediatric Gastroenterology University of London. He has lived in London since 1973. His wife died from Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. He has two living children and eight grandchildren. His second daughter tragically died aged 29 years in 2004. This was followed by the death of his nephew aged 33 years. These events led him to write poetry for the first time. He has an MA in Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London. He is a member of The King’s Chapel of the Savoy. He is Life President of the Crohn’s in Childhood Research Appeal and the Founder President of CAPGAN.

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