A Career in
Accompaniment by Alex Reed draws us into an intimate experience of caring
for a lover that leaves your palate aching for tea – strong, comforting tea.
I
recommend the high-tannin punch of the mighty Assam leaf, or for the
connoisseur, the coppery tones of Sapphire Earl Grey, with just a touch of
bergamot and blue malva flowers. Infuse longer for a more robust flavour – you will
need it to be strong to help you through this journey of love, loss and
challenge in the face of long-term illness.
From
a "beery dance" club on a Northern quay to a lonely café table in Padua –the
observations of a trip that becomes a fall and then "the trace of a limp" will
leave your palate dry. Dry as the "flame licking dry wood" of Reed’s love and
stifled rage (in ‘Woken by your Cough’) as he tries to hold on to what he is
about to lose:
“Ambiguous loss. But I’d
prefer
to
say that I am haunted
by
the ghost of her motion,
the
flow of her - ”
(from ‘Ghost’)
This
is definitely a read for a rainy day, tucked away with teapot and cup in a
dusk-filled room. Let Reed take you to his lover sitting "at her table by the
bay window - a flask of tea…within easy reach" (‘Long Day’).
Sip.
Savour. Reflect.
“The
trees almost bare
just
a few leaves hanging.
Rothko
red. Framed by nothing
but
pure air.”
(‘Leaving’)
Jane
Campion Hoye
For a sample poem from A Career in Accompaniment, please click here.
You can buy a copy of the pamphlet, RRP £5.50, using the paypal link below.
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