Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Poetry in Liverpool and its surrounding areas has had a huge mountain to climb in terms of ever trying to match what went before it after the Second World War and the arrival of the beat poetry that influenced a generation of poetry lovers in Merseyside and beyond. The names of Brian Patten, Adrian Henri and Roger McGough are forever entwined with that time and any promising composer of words has the knowledge that they have an almost near impossible task infront of them. There are a number of poets in Liverpool today who can fill any void left and amongst them is the Wirral’s Tim Kingham.
Comic Reflections & Cosmic Truths by Tim Kingham is more than a set of poems set to a particular style or premise but they do encompass a certain longing to communicate the thoughts of the Wirral man in a very fine way. Ranging from very good examples of the Japanese Haiku, some interesting poetic stories that in places range from inspired to wondering if a degree is needed to really get to grips with their theme and some very excellent classic poems that will either raise a smile or have the reader enjoying the lines for everything they convey and try to reveal.
Although quite a few of the smaller poems have no title they still evoke an image of a man who has lived and lived in the right way by travelling and taking in every aspect from other society’s that he has visited. In some respects to have no title fits with the overall theme of the book which is hefty at over 300 pages long but is well worth the investment that it takes to purchase Tim Kingham’s terrific set of poetry.
The only time in which the reader may be put off by the writing is on one of the opening poem, Mother Raped, the language may seem course, especially when not expecting it but the point it conveys is very real and very well put.
Comic Reflections & Cosmic Truths is an enjoyable read by a man who takes the subject very seriously.
Ian D. Hall
Comic Reflections & Cosmic Truths can be purchased from Cathy Roberts at the Book Shop on Atherton Road, New Brighton.