Days Like These: An Alternative Guide to the Year in 366 Poems

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In this playful, innovative collection, Brian Bilston writes a poem to accompany every day of the year. Each poem is inspired by a significant - often curious - event associated with that day: from Open an Umbrella Indoors Day to the day on which New York banned public flirting; from the launch of the Rubik's Cube to the first appearance of the phrase, 'the best thing since sliced bread'. November, King Canute died. “ Not Reigning but Drowning” is a parody of Stevie Smith's famous verse. Facebook decided I should see Brian Bilston's poetry posts. They are so fun & fresh--and most were from this book.

I decided I needed to buy this title, and I'm glad I did. It's harder to find in the US than in Bilston's native England, so I got the ebook version. February, Wilhelm Grimm born. A humorous folkloric treat, “ A Few Take Home Points from Grimm’s Fairy Tales” gives life advice to avoid the fates of familiar characters. “ Avoid, where possible, all houses situated in dark forests, / particularly ones owned by bears or witches / or those constructed predominantly from gingerbread. Does more mean worse? I think it’s fair to say the collection is uneven - much like the days of the year. For every public holiday there are a dozen drizzly Thursdays. Some are short and feel more dutiful than inspired. The most successful poems all spring from inner compulsion. His favourite themes are the awfulness of Tory politicians, the unexpected perspective, and moral responsibility. ‘Independence Day’ is his secret manifesto with its call to ‘form the independent republic of myself’ free from inept governments, influencers, pedants and queue-jumpers. He likes the overlooked and the snubbed. ‘The Clown Next Door’ sets out to redeem the image of its subject from horror films. ‘Love My Tinder’ is a forlorn love letter from the dating app itself; ‘The Iceberg Cometh’ is the mea culpa of the Titanic’s killer told directly to the audience.January, world’s first underground railway opened. It was the Metropolitan Line, but “ Love Notes from the Underground” comprises puns using stations on many different Tube lines. “ Hainault, I wasn’t Holborn yesterday / and I know you like Stanmore than me / but don’t let our futures be Edgeware, or leave me Barking up the wrong tree. / It’s true, I may not be a Richmond / but you can Bank on me.”

Bilston's poems are often fun, but I think he's at his best when he adds some snark or political satire (rare in this collection) or comes up with odd rhymes and wordplay. December, Emperor Nero born. Roman history in verse, “ Julio-Claudian Clerihews”. For example, “ Augustus Caesar, / a formidable geezer, / stamped out civil wars and riots. / He loved a bit of pax and quiet.”. November, International Men's Day (also World Toilet Day). “ Bear Wrestling” is a humorous fantasy against toxic masculinity. Watts has, for the past 45 years, been one of the UK’s most singular poetic voices. A friend and influence on WG Sebald, Watts has forged connections between cultures and countries, finding the common humanity – sometimes even rapture – between us. It has been hard to get hold of his work, so this selection is welcome. His primary concern is how the language we need to truly express ourselves is always out of reach, yet we must keep trying to speak: “Not that there is a gate to be climbed / through in my lyric – / but what is a poem if not an opening / onto an open field”. This is a wonderful way to get to know a wonderful poet. The book starts on 1 January, but was published late October, and I'm starting on 9 November 2022, when I went to an event where Bilston read many of his poems and talked a little about himself. He did it with dry humour, as he mostly read humorous poems. However, the book includes at least one of his more political ones, which I reviewed a few months earlier: Refugees, HERE.A brilliant way to brighten each day. In this playful, innovative collection, Brian Bilston writes a poem to accompany every day of the year. I like Brian Bilston. He really does have a poem for all occasions. However I did struggle with a full year's worth in one go.