‘Starlight on Water is a scintillating collection by one of Scotland’s sharpest, most enjoyable talents. I recommend it without reservation.’ — Anne Stevenson ‘Warm, witty, musical and moving, Helena Nelson’s poems honour everyday life. She is that rare thing: a good popular poet. Read her.’ — Alison Brackenbury Much of Helena’s writing has this skilful clarity that yet draws to itself difficult questions. This poem is about fear, and about the fact that fear is boundless once we give it a foot in the door. - Michael Mackmin Coldstream Cottage, ArdnamurchanIt’s a small white house beside the sea where the hills are steep and the sky is low and sheep meander from scree to scree and sometimes you see a fishing boat go. The yellow lamplight welcomes you to a seat by a fire that warms and glows. An ill wind flusters outside, it’s true but it’s calm inside as the darkness grows. You say, There’s nothing to fear tonight, I can rest in peace. If it were so a haven might mean the world was right. The floorboards creak and the curtains blow. Sleep meanders from scree to scree and the hills are dark and the moon is low. you hear the snuffling of unease on the stones, by the door, at the back window. You toss in a sea of quilted dread as the black mouth opens, long and slow and swallows you in your safe white bed dreaming. You are the last to know.
Helena Nelson can be witty and cutting, and the Philpott poems are frequently very moving… this is a book full of sparkling images and simply good poems.
Steven Waling
This is a book with an original angle on an old theme: the difficulty of love..this volume is from an interesting mind.
Herbert Lomas
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