Love and Other Diseases

Allan’s poetry never fails to surprise and delight. In Memory of Waves. he uses the imagery of the sea to invoke intense feelings about ‘ our eternal now’.   He portrays compassion in a range of poetic forms. ‘Cloth’ is a favourite of mine as he asks ‘weave me new’ in an extended metaphor. In Lost ‘you are the light on the other side of hope’ is a beautifully evocative ending.

 On the other hand, his prose poems on diseases show his dark humour as they are insinuatingly menacing as he takes on the personas of the diseases and warns us ‘I’m not dead yet’.

 This collection of poems shows his versatility and skill in the use of language as well as his humour and compassion.

(Ann McKinnon, poet)