Inside The Wave by Helen Dunmore

I am in no way qualified to review poetry so this is not so much a review as a book I really want to share and shout about to anyone who will listen!

I was aware of this collection of poetry as it was the winner of the Costa Book of the Year in 2017. Which in itself is a wonderful thing as it brings poetry to the wider audience.  However I was reminded again of this collection again a few weeks ago when I listened to  Miranda Mills and Sophie Butler discuss it on their fabulous pod cast Tea Reads.

Helen Dunmore was a poet, novelist, short story and children’s writer.  She sadly died before this her latest collection of poetry was published which perhaps makes it all the more poignant.  Much of the poetry was written whilst she was unwell, with the last poem “Hold out your arms” written just 10 days before her death.

Death, hold out your arms for me
Embrace me
Give me your motherly caress
Through all this suffering
You have not forgotten me.

As a palliative care nurse I love these tender insights written by Helen when she was facing her own death. As a lover of words I was moved by the use of language and imagery.  She writes of her view of a plane tree from the hospital bed unsure if it is real or the result of morphine “Pain is yards away. Held off like bad weather”

With a gentleness and an insight which perhaps can only be found when facing ones own mortality she explores the silver thread which connects life and death and the journey from one to the other.

I heard Helen Dunmores son say ‘Poetry was in mums soul’ if you read this collection I feel sure you will agree.  This is poetry written from deep within the soul and it has reached deeply into mine too.

“And now we come to the unknown land

With it’s blue covers and inlets where sweet water

Bubbles against the salt.

It’s sand Is ready for footprints.

Give me your hand”.

– Terra Incognita by Helen Dunmore

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