Front cover of my copy of the journal. Painting is ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ c1862 by Gustav Dore (1832-1883).
I am delighted to have art work included in this collection of poetry edited by Mari Fitzpatrick, Oonah Joslin, and Bill West which was published on November 20th, 2021.
They were made to accompany the poems Solo Shot and Star Roots by Tom Sheehan which I was able to read in full to guide the work. The poems are remarkable and it was a privilege to make visual interpretations of them, and as separate pieces of work, they also have a life of their own.
This is one of several photos I sent to the editors, all from different angles and making play on reflection, shine, and perspective. An advantage of digital materials is versatility in that a traditional face-on image may not be the only or even the best for the purpose. There are violin strings, a drop of blood tracking through them, falling notes, and blocks of colour reflecting the darkness of a past life, and the bright but stained snow of the present.Again, this was one of several sent to the editors. This clip focuses on the human element of the poem, the narrator perhaps or his proxy, surrounded by what I read as the chaos of his thoughts. The hand-written text visible in parts of the work refers to the speed of, for instance, a snail, a thought, of light or sound, of the moon moving away from the earth. The poem felt to me as though it had a cosmic scale and the text reflects that.
Star Roots became The Speed of Things
Solo Shot became Bang Bang
I haven’t read the rest of this collection yet, but I will. It’s a dipper and also a sit-down-and-finish issue. Maybe do the the sit-down first, then keep it to hand for the dips.
A Christmas Canzonette, published by long-running journal of fine poetry, The Linnet’s Wings, is available now from Amazon. ISBN 978-1916462236.
Dr Suzanne Conboy-Hill 
Reblogged this on Strayfish Arts and commented:
I have the book in my hands, and it’s not only a lovely thing to look at, it’s warm to the touch and soft as matte silk.