Broken
A Collection of Poetry
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
The Door Voices above me, “You don’t know where you are, do you darling?” You’re here, but where? I fade, dizzy and lost submerging gone. That blurred buzz again. What’s happening to me? Fog, half-coloured, indistinct crackling off-track. Hello, where are you? Anyone there? I’m trying to tune in to grasp something a bar, a line gone. Pain-saturated I can’t move. Stretched and pinned like one of your butterflies. Buoyant on a blow-up lifeboat drifting in the wreckage of poly-trauma, a blanked out take. I’m the lead part but completely unaware, shot without me propelling me through a doorway I never chose, opening at the foot of an overwhelming cliff. I fade, dizzy, but moving on… Remade An earthenware pot, I think I’m okay: functional, fairly useful, displaying dried stalks, sprayed grasses, patio lanterns, driftwood, whatever, standing decorated, coarse and gritty in a forgotten corner. Muscled limbs occasionally shove me behind sofas, doors, obscured, disregarded. I remember being chiseled by skilled, scarred hands. Not the prize piece but good enough, I felt. I wished to be bigger, smoother, more exotic, with handles, swirls, whirls. When I was smashed I thought you’d sweep me away. The smell of the glue, the painstaking process, pierced hands piecing.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Unusual, interesting and uplifting, this set of poems deals with disabling injuries from a horrendous road traffic accident. The poems have a clear narrative arc, starting with the regaining of consciousness after the accident, ending with the return of health and hope. 'Broken' depicts glimpses of the natural and social world of the Sultanate of Oman where these events occurred and the writer currently lives. Free from self-pity, laced with self-questioning and levened with generous dashes of humour, this is an honest poetic record of a journey out of severe poly-trauma towards a new wholeness, all in the sensitively illustrated beauty of Oman. The winning charm of Margaret Jeeves' illustrations combine with Helen Freeman’s poignant poetry to make 'Broken' an outstanding and unforgettable book for all readers: those who are or feel broken, travellers to the Middle East, or simply those wanting an inspiring read.
About the Author
The Author A Kenyan childhood, a girls’ boarding school in England, a Welsh degree in English Literature and Linguistics and teacher training in central London, Helen Freeman continues to travel and write wherever she goes. She has taught in East Africa, UK and since 2001, in the Sultanate of Oman, where she currently lives with her husband and two children. She has a great interest in poetry, languages and cross-cultural living. On May 18th 2009, she was involved in a life-threatening road traffic accident in Muscat and underwent several difficult operations whilst in intensive care. During rehabilitation, she decided to document her experiences, her visitors and her surroundings in poetry. email: angus_helen@yahoo.com The Artist Margaret Jeeves has a lifelong love of art and uses a variety of techniques to create paintings and sketches in watercolour, acrylic, pastel and charcoal. Her subjects cover wildlife, landscapes, life drawings and portraits. Based in London with her family, Margaret has traveled widely, and inspiration for her work comes from many places including Southern and Eastern Africa, the Middle East and Europe. She has formal qualifications in fashion and design. email:margaretjeeves@btinternet.com