Author: Kathy Pimlott
Publisher: Emma
Paperback
One of our books of the year 2024!
Cat says: This poetry pamphlet by Kathy Pimlott published by Emma Press deals with the grief after the sudden death of her partner. I decided I wanted this to be one of my books of the year after reading the second poem ‘No Shock Advised.’ The title here is a command a defibrillator displays when somebody’s heart beat isn’t shockable, this poem locates us in the surreal moment when someone has just died or when we realise that someone has died.
because there’s nothing to be done
And it’s done.
The repetition of ‘done' is simple and powerful, the task of trying to save the person is done, the heart is done, the life, without warning, is done. Reading this I felt a shock myself, one of recognition from my own life after this year experiencing the sudden death of a close member of my family.
Pimlott’s poem also mimics a certain feeling of incomprehension people seem to get when dealing with death, especially unexpected death. It’s as if some part of consciousness tries to trick us into thinking it isn’t true, it isn’t possible that they were there once and then not there ever again. The last line,
but how still the sweet mad hopeful brain insists
it will be ok ok ok
I think the immediacy of poetry lends itself well to exploring what it feels like to be left behind after a death and this pamphlet is an excellent example of this. Not a very festive recommendation, but hopefully helpful to whoever needs it.