Shocks and stares

This is Steve Wheeler at his creative lunatic best. If the crazy cover doesn't convince you, then read on.... He claims that this collection of poetry has been twenty-five years in the making. Although all of the poems are new, the concept goes back to 1995. He began to conceive of the idea when he was playing with words (as he often does) and came up with the spoonerism Shocks and Stares (see what he did there?) It made a lot of sense to him, because it spoke of weird and wonderful things that compel people to stop, and stare transfixed at what is happening right in front of them. The poems in this collection are fast moving, hard hitting, hilarious, emotional, and at times quite visceral. They will make you stop and stare.... Containing 90 poems and an end-piece, Shocks and Stares covers a plethora of themes and is written in a variety styles, including freeform, standard metre and rhyme, villanelles and pantoums.

Some of the pieces are strangely epic, including 'Orchestral Stabs' about an orchestra that goes on a murderous spree, 'I ate a planet' (which rivals the bizarre Monsieur Creosote sketch from Monty Python) and 'Villain' which features an ex-East End villain who finally gets his comeuppance on the Costa Brava. There are strange visions and dreams presented - 'I ordered an Uber and a Hearse showed up instead' is an account directly lifted from a psychology study in which dreams and nightmares during the pandemic were analysed, while 'Vinyl Blare' contains the titles and lyrics of more than 40 popular songs, crafted together into a poetic narrative. See if you can spot them all!

This poet does not pull his punches, taking pot-shots at everything from opulence and the causes of poverty, homelessness, addictive behaviour, through to the pomposity of organised religion and the stupid and thoughtless acts that have driven us the brink of global catastrophe and the destruction of our planet. If you like strange, imaginative and positively off-the-wall verse that is at once both entertaining and challenging, Shocks and Stares is the book of poetry for you.

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What they said:

Anyone who is familiar with Steve’s work will know that he’s a man who aspires to inspire, and for those new to his work, I assure you that you too will be inspired. “Shocks and Stares” is a very difficult read to put down, so full of very relatable poetry touching on life’s ups and downs (and everything in between). It’s an absolute winner!! - Jason Cunningham (Founder, Poet’s Corner).

I imagine a glint in the bard's eyes as I read the wonderful poetry. There’s something for everyone, a great sense of dark humour with an added pleasure of reading the world put to rights! You get to know the character writing with the wonderful words he’s written in each poem. A pleasurable experience from start to finish, once picked up, very hard to put down. A clever, well organised book. - Charlene Phare (Founder, Pure Poetry).

Well I have to say this has been my favourite up to now, from all of the other books that I have in my possession from the amazing Mr Steve Wheeler. His poetry provokes a lot of emotions from laughing out loud to reflecting on the inequalities of the world. This is different from his other books, which are also to a very high standard. I look forward to reading more of his work. Definitely buy a copy. You will not be disappointed. - Pureheart Wolf (Poet and writer).

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You can purchase your copy of Shocks and Stares in paperback or hardcover editions from Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores around the world, and also via Amazon (which also carries Kindle editions) at sites including United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Japan, Singapore, India, United Arab Emirates, Poland, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands and Sweden.

Ready Salted

This big engine keeps on towing; 

diesel roaring, motion flowing 

down along the track to somewhere. 

Rock and rolling through the sea air. 

In a blur the world speeds by, 

flashing colours past my eyes. 

Sunlight glinting off the waves, 

passing rugged coves and caves. 

Wake me when this traction ends, 

and our locomotion wends 

down to the sea, and we have halted. 

One more bag of ready salted. 

Steve Wheeler © 6 May, 2022

Photo by Steve Wheeler 

Poetry as performance

How is performance of poetry different to publishing (spoken vs written)? It's a question I have considered for years. Back in the 80s and 90s I was a performance poet (and I still occasionally perform my poems these days, usually online, but sometimes in person!) I would rock up to events such as festivals, stand at a microphone, and perform my poetry for anyone who would listen. Sometimes my audience was a few dozen people milling around at a 'poet's corner', at other times it was an audience thousands, from a main stage. I think my largest ever audience for a poetry performance was 24,000 at a festival held at Knebworth. I wasn't merely 'reading out' my poetry. I had learnt to project it, emotionally and spiritually. That may need a littler further explanation...

The words on a page can convey one kind of meaning. They can operate at a different level to the spoken word. Written poetry allows the poet to present their words in any configuration on the page. Look at the work of concrete poets such as Edwin Morgan, or the anarchic chaos created by e.e.cummings as examples. Wordplay is also easier to convey in the printed page format of poetry. The use of homophones can be maximised. It's not so easy in the spoken or performed poetry mode. One of the lines in my audio recording of Disco Floor says: 'forget your sighs... on the disco floor'. Some people assumed I meant I was referring to height or weight. (Listen to the recording here).

But the spoken word, performed poetry - has a set of nuances and inflections that the written word can never have. A comic pause, a sardonic glance at the audience - a shifting of posture or a change in vocal quality - all can add to the emotional and spiritual delivery of a piece. Sometimes I would leave out the last line of a poem, and hope for the audience to complete it. And if the audience responds to all this, it becomes a communal event. It's wonderful to see people listening to, and enjoying poetry together as a shared experience. 

Now that's what I call poetry.

Life in Real Time

I stand and watch in silence as the world walks by 

I’m the unseen witness watching life in real time 

I capture every moment, the veracity and lies 

I keep a perfect record of each deed and crime 

Down throughout the ages I’m a constant eye 

that sweeps the panorama of human history 

I see the wars and famines and I watch men die 

Nothing to me is hidden, nor a mystery

The time line of the future reaches far ahead 

and I will stand as witness to the choices made 

I am the silent watcher of the words unsaid 

I see with utmost clarity as memories fade 

I stand and watch in silence as the world walks by 

I’m the unseen witness watching life in real time 

Steve Wheeler © 1 April, 2022

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