“You’re beginning to become a fucking mess and it’s hurting me and I can’t love you“.
John D Robinson
Collected Poetry by John D Robinson
There are a few poetry blogs which I have subscribed to for years. Your One Phone Call was one that never shied away from the edge. Though a little quiet these days, it was via this blog that I first read contributor John D Robinson’s poetry. I was very much drawn to many of the writers but especially John’s dead and numb honesty of stained emotion. In this red pocket zine, I see the same flair and straightforwardness that stood out all those years ago. John immediately gets to the part where the hurt, cathartic revelations and memories that turns these pages are summed up. “You’re beginning to become a fucking mess and it’s hurting me and I can’t love you“. Suddenly you get that uncomfortable feeling that you’ve walked into a room just at the wrong time and it’s too late to turn around.
Whether written during a particular period of his life or connected by a personal catalyst, JR rearranges the pieces of his poetic past onto these pages, still raw, even though an age has passed. Too Many Drinks Ago flips through dialogues, conversations with friends, lovers and himself. Insignificant brief encounters become extremely memorable poetical moments. Characters that visit or are remembered by JR are full of sex and pain “Life gives the opportunity of chasing death” That’s all we do to varying degrees and sometimes one sits inside the very essence of these thoughts and asks why the fuck do we keep on going. John’s vignettes expressed through the daily grind, drained of their beauty simply come to life here.
There is the tough Poem For A Brother, the endless cold turkey attempts to cure the death of sands. Words, flesh and blood, cold concrete and how nothing really matters. Life is cheap so let’s think again, embracing the challenge of our morbid commitment, death is death. It’s having the nerve to gauge a life well lived, or a death deserved. John doesn’t care what kills us or makes us more accepted, there are no expectations on how we are expected to leave this mortal coil. All the stuff ups, what activates John’s poetry or makes it hurt is deciphered by the reader, his humour always humanises through all the encounters of cadavers and condoms, solace isn’t far away.
You can purchase Too Many Drinks Ago from Editor, Designer Publisher Martin Appleby of Paper & Ink Literary Zine. Combined with John’s personal touches of signed collage art, this is a beautiful little collector and fine work from a writer not restricted by any self censorship.
Also just released, John D Robinson shares some space with London born underground maestro and searcher of the Lost Elation, Joseph Ridgwell. This release is one knockout bout of poetic proportions with excerpts from Joe’s muchly anticipated sixth instalment in his series, Civil Service. Having just finished his The Buddha Bar I cant wait to have a squiz. The Lost Future In A Pair of Blue Eyes is available through Joe’s blog or directly from johndrobinson@yahoo.co.uk.
URBAN F 