Caged Birds & Spirit Levels
I am pleased to be able to share the details of my new collection of poetry called "Caged Birds & Spirit Levels", which is now available to purchase, either through this website or in a variety of formats from Amazon. It has been a long time in the making, but I am thrilled that it is now a reality and available for others to read and reflect on. Some of the poems will appear on the "Poems" page of this website, and some in my Poetry Blog with some reflections. Quite a number of the poems have previously been published in poetry magazines or webzines, and I am grateful for those opportunities that have been given to me by editors who give their own time to encourage and promote diversity in poetry. A list of the poems published can be seen below. The poems are accompanied by a collection of photographs taken over the last few years, some of which can be seen on the "Pictures" page of this website. The book is dedicated to my wife Jo, who is my muse, encourager and fellow journeyer into all things curious and creative.
If you dip into the poems, I hope they bring some enjoyment and engagement, and there is a space below for comments if you are so inclined.
Enjoy!
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Foreword to Caged Birds & Spirit Levels
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This collection is, for me, an important milestone, bringing together a wide range of writing that I wanted to offer, to represent a journey of discovering the joy and pain of writing in recent years. The poems vary from the exploratory to the indulgent, the existential to the political and all stops in between. My curiosity about the human spirit has been shaped in recent years by some experiences of the strangeness of living and the selfish and sometimes cruel machinations that tie us up in knots in exploring who we are and what we feel about our experience, as well as what we choose to believe. In writing the poems, I have had to own up to my own prejudices and even anger at some of the expressions of belief and faith that I have encountered and entertained in myself as well. I have tried to step back and let questions such as:
“what are the narrative stories I have that shape my view of the world”,
“what are the feelings in the moments when I ask big questions about `otherness` in the world”,
“what cages the human spirit and limits its ability to express itself”,
“what are the experiences that help us have a sense of the uniqueness of our spirit in the moment we are living?”
These are of course just illustrative, but I hope the search for honesty, identity, curiosity, and beauty is what has shaped the collection.
The subject matter of the poems ranges from reflecting on why someone put a statue of the Green Man in a church, to why older people sometimes choose to write poetry, to the experience of online trolling and the joy of anticipation in waiting to see a Kingfisher, amongst many others! If any of the poems connect with you and spark curiosity, then I am grateful for your attention and indulgence, if they do not, then my apologies!
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Jon Doble
POEMS IN THIS COLLECTION PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
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The Wishing Well (published in DISCOVERY by Green Ink Poetry 2021) -
Cloud Naming (Published in SUMMER ANYWHERE by DREICH 2021) -
Autolatry (Published by DREICH 2021 -
On encountering a Green Man in a corner of an old church. (Published in ROOTS by Green Ink Poetry 2021) -
The Voice (Published by Saccharine Poetry Vol 2 2020) -
Songs in a minor key (Published DREICH SEASON 3 2021) -
Landing (Published by Flight of the Dragonfly 2021) -
Slight Addict (Published in WINTER by DREICH 2020) -
Pas de Deux (Published in WINTER by DREICH 2020) -
Late Flowering Poets (Published by DREICH 2021) -
Shoreline Conversation (Published in DREICH SEASON 3 2021) -
To the man in the Moon (Published in RESPONSE by DREICH 2021) -
Bus stop (Published by DREICH 12 SEASON 5 2022) -
Then (Published in DREICH SEASON 3 2021) -
Two Haiku for the red-faced preacher (Published in RIVER WILLOW 2021 by DREICH) -
Hope #1 (Published in DREICH SEASON 3 2021) -
Hope #2 (Published in DREICH SEASON 3 2021) -
Shanty Town (Published in TEMPEST by Green Ink Poetry 2022) -
Nocturne No’2 (am) (Published by DREICH 12 SEASON 5 2022) -
Living (Published in WINTER by DREICH 2020) -
Waiting for a Kingfisher (Published in BLACK BOX by DREICH 2022) -
Great Expectations (Published by DREICH 12 SEASON 5 2022) -
Woodpecker (Published by DREICH 12 SEASON 5 2022) -
Death of a fallen fledgling (Published by DREICH 12 SEASON 5 2022) -
Looking for WMD (Published in THINGS TO DO WITH LOVE by DREICH 2021) -
Yet (Published by DREICH 2021)
THANK YOU!
A word of thanks is due to the people who give of their time and energy to encourage and publish poetry. Publishers, such as those who are mentioned above, whether online or in print do much to nurture creativity and to facilitate sharing with others. There are many poets across the world who are grateful for your vision, energy, and commitment. Thank you.