{"product_id":"bracing-9781916966024","title":"Bracing","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Bracing' is a full collection of poems, mostly about contemporary life, experienced richly, intensely, unsentimentally and with humour. The writing is humane and accessible, wearing its intelligence lightly.  There is something for everyone in 'Bracing', even for those who were put off poetry at school. This is a mature, well-rounded piece of work. The subject matter ranges across modern life and beyond - childhood, parenthood, love, lust, loss, shopping, animals (and our connection to them), climate change, the complexities of the human heart and of relationships, spirituality, food, suffragettes, the status of women, homesickness, grief, illness, ageing, dementia, fear, the joy in small things. All the poems are underpinned by a keen eye, a sharp wit and a total absence of self-pity. Simone is a safe pair of hands, writing in an unshowy style, a poet who manages to be heartfelt, humorous and accomplished.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBreeze\t 9 Digging\t11 Gargoyle\t12 For my daughter’s mother-in-law’s sister\t13 As kings, in Egypt\t15 After the rains return                                                       16 A lady novelist writes to a publisher, 1972\t17 Blew in\t18 Vision\t20 When we were first together\t21 Osculation\t22 Summer shower\t23 The pull of the lizards\t24 Boy, playing\t25 He's a nice lad\t26 Milady fair\t28 St. David’s\t29 Not getting my autograph book signed by John Noakes\t30 Speed awareness \t31 On hold\t33 Hole punch\t34 Lemon cheesecake with ginger\t35 Cancelling God\t36 Named for the tree\t37 Blast\t To my Suffragette\t39 The classroom\t42 The migration of Bewick's swan\t44 In the nursery\t45 Just a little prick\t47 Evergreen\t50 Love, house, vinyl, desire\t51 Polar bear and Oyster\t52 Again\t54 Last Samaritan in Paris\t56 Confession\t58 Were you there, bear?\t61 It’s an ill wind…\t 52.0136 North, 4.3881 West –  21st February 2022\t64 Balance\t66 A coffee and a chat - Barmouth\t67 Springers in the air\t68 Like a duck to water\t69  A photo for Grandpa\t70 Inevitability\t71 Celebration\t72 Nessun Dorma\t73 The visitor\t74 January 6th\t75 Springing \t76 I am becoming all those words \t77 Diagnosis\t78 Retreat\t79 Revelation\t81 Checking up on Dad\t83 What do we do now?\t84 For him there was no longing\t85 At the bar\t87 Acknowledgements\t88 About ‘Bracing’ and about Simone\t89","brand":"The Conrad Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48742841909591,"sku":"9781916966024","price":10.44,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781916966024.jpg?v=1720063030","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/bracing-9781916966024","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}