Departure

Chris Emery was born in Manchester in 1963. He has published four collections of poetry, a writer ’s guide, an anthology of art and poems, and edited selections of Emily Brontë, John Keats and Christina Rossetti. He works in publishing and lives in Cromer, North Norfolk. Wonder is his fifth collection of poetry.

• SnailsOn the Making of EntrancesThe DepartureThe GatheringLake WatchingDandelionsCarl’s JobThe Destroyers’ ConventionOn Leaving Wale ObeliskDuke BluebeardRita’s CreaturesThe InterrogationSouthwoldSunday FathersThe New Play at The AstoriaThe Goose MoonNo. 1 Cowboy SongShrimpiesOn Great EndingsTheologyM1 3LAThe CanalOh, the DayAfterwardsApollo at CelaenaeOn Great CitiesBoys’ TownGuest StarringBukowskisThe Naming ConventionUnlit Minor FogThe Museum of TVWillowThe Publisher’s DeskCroppingAll Our YesterdaysEnding UpOn the Small PrintLost BrotherFrom the FrontlineDamaged EnamelFat DiariesA Northern IcarusDown at Jim’s PlaceA Short History of the Manchester RiotsThe Victorian Amusement Coast Motel SentencesPromenading

The narrative poems are like snapshots of longer stories, like watching ten minutes of a film – you want to know more. The ‘location poems’ feature such vivid imagery, so real that you’re right there – “a charcoal pushbike leaning on the door’s black velour”. Emery shows no sticking rigidly to poetic form, taking the theme of departures around a tour of haiku, sonnets, couplets, free verse. It’s all here. The words are working hard – “the day moon is a wok”, “the sea’s womb bursts” – painting a vivid picture in your mind’s eye. The breadth of this collection is tremendous, but my absolute favourite is the title poem ‘The Departure’, about leaving yourself and diving into your art.