Description
Book SynopsisThis is a new collection of poems. They are accessible, highly intelligent,and have a wonderful psychological truthfulness, particularly about relations between mother and daughter.The poems transcend the individual situation to become meditations on meaning in the face of mortality.
Trade ReviewThe Watching Stair is a wonderfully apt title for this collection. Like the narrator of the title poem, Diana Hendry is `intensely good’ at both `watching and listening’. The result is a collection of poignant, often wryly humorous and always beautifully-crafted poems that open windows on childhood and old-age. Vicki Feaver
Table of ContentsAutobiography 1 The Watching Stair 2 The Catch 3 Before 4 The Billiard Room 5 My First Love 6 Murphy 7 Imaginary Snakes 8 Latin by Post 10 Mother on the Beach 11 The Beaten Track 12 Other Mothers 13 The Pot of Rouge 14 Far from true 15 Kaddish 16 Father’s Doors 17 Fire Watch 18 Sonny Boy 19 The Greenhouse 20 What we’re here for 21 Cousins i 22 Cousins ii 24 Lighting Effects 25 Parting 26 My Daughter’s House 27 Wind, go easy 28 Charades with Freya (7) 29 To Talia, at six months 30 Travelling with Ruairidh 31 Boys 32 Signs 33 Watching telly with you 34 The Winter Pilgrim 35 Caroline Herschel: Her CV 37 Paddy on his long Irish legs 38 Abduction 39 Dorothy Dobson 40 Never Brought to Mind 41 Absent Friends 42 To friends prevented by illness from visiting 44 Gwen Boyt 45 Jim on Sax 46 The Kano Beggars 47 Leonard 48 Abigail’s Garden 49 Portobello Beach 50 Trespassing 51 What the rowan tree said 52 April: Early Evening 53 Yellow Poppies 54 Nasturtiums 55 How to play the piano 56 The Last Piano 58 In praise of a potted cyclamen 59 In praise of the man with big ears 60 In praise of the Variscan 61 Canada 62 Camouflage 63 On being asked to write a poem about a tool or utensil 64 Treasure 66 Timor mortis conturbat me 67 End Matter 68 Callers 70 Beyond 71 Praise Poem 72 Dear Seamus 75 Notes 76 About the Author 77
