Poems
of Labour, Memory and Inheritance
This is a new Poetic collection
(ISBN: 978-1-918132-04-5, 40pps., £10 inc. p. and p.) of the inspiring Poet
Richard Devereux, which I am studying at the moment.
In this centenary year
of the General Strike, Coal and Fire commemorates that national industrial
impasse of 4-12 May 1926 in which Richard Devereux’s grandfathers—one a Rhondda
miner, the other a Black Country ‘bobby’—were pitched on opposite sides.
(From the back cover of
the book)
It is a remarkable and
deeply moving collection, a body of work shaped by labour, memory, inheritance,
and the enduring dignity of ordinary lives. These Poems carry the weight of
lived experience, yet they are written with such grace, humanity, and emotional
intelligence that they resonate far beyond the page.
Richard Devereux writes
with the rare gift of authenticity. His Poetry does not simply describe working
lives and inherited histories; it honours them. There is strength in these Poems,
but also tenderness; a profound understanding of family, sacrifice, resilience,
and the invisible threads that bind generations together.
What makes Coal and
Fire so compelling is Richard’s extraordinary command of language. His voice is
both grounded and lyrical, capable of transforming the familiar into something
timeless and unforgettable. Each Poem feels carefully forged, rich with
imagery, rhythm, and emotional truth. He has the ability to find beauty in
hardship and meaning in memory, illuminating the lives and landscapes that too
often go unnoticed.
Richard Devereux is,
without question, an exceptionally gifted Poet. His work possesses not only
technical skill, but genuine heart and moral depth. The Poems in this
collection linger in the mind long after reading, because they speak to
something universal: our longing to remember, to belong, and to understand
where we come from.
Coal and Fire is more
than a Poetry collection. It is a tribute to endurance, heritage, and the quiet
heroism of everyday people. It stands as an inspiring and significant
achievement from a Poet of immense sensitivity and insight.
Two Poems from the book,
one from each part of it, are as follows:
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