Paul Brookes, Otherness (Jane’s Studio Press 2023) and These Random Acts of Wildness (Glasshouse Press, 2022)

Paul Brookes’ These Random Acts of Wildness is an amazing tour de force. In this collection, Brookes manages to explore nature in all its wild glory and the human compulsion to tame it within the confines of the sonnet form. Along the way, he explores family life, grief, love, loneliness, death, and memories.

In “Wildlife Map,” Brookes’ wit shines through:

In “I Make A Cuppa,” Brookes reveals truths in his poignant poem–
we drink tea at the cost of workers who harvest it, and at the risk of remembering—

This collection bravely reveals childhood and adult loneliness and being bullied, but it is “My Bella” that affected me the most. Anyone who has had a beloved animal companion will understand.

In Othernesses, Brookes once again…