#BlogTour The Sea Refuses No River by Bethany Rivers

Today it's my turn on the BlogTour The Sea Refuses No River by Bethany Rivers. It's a conversation in poetry with the author. Moments, words, thoughts and emotions all wrapped up in small packages.

About the Author
Bethany Rivers (M.A. in Creative Writing from Cardiff University) is a poet and author based in Shrewsbury, who has taught creative writing for over eleven years and mentored and coached many writers from the start of their writing project through to publication.

Follow @bethanyrivers77 on Twitter, on Facebook, Visit writingyourvoice.org.uk
Buy The Sea Refuses No River at Amazon Uk

About the book
The journey of grief is a strange one
and one not often talked about in our everyday reality of this society,
but I know what it's like to dive deep,
down to the bottom of the wreck,
feel the ribs of the wreck,
after losing a parent so young in life

In this collection, the sea refuses no river, there is an acceptance of the pain and an acceptance of the healing moments; the healing journeys. To quote Adrienne Rich: I came to explore the wreck', and in this collection, Bethany discovers how, 'The words are purposes. The words are maps.'

Review
Poetry is art, and in a way it isn't very different from the world of paintings or sculptures. Each of us relates to the images or words in a completely individual way and that includes any response we may or may not have.

With poetry, as with reading in general, the response can be quite visceral. The conjuring up of images, situations and emotions. All through our own frame of reference.

The two poems I connected with the most were Deep Fire and Seeker. I think it will be interesting to see, hear or read which poems or parts of the poems people connect with, perhaps because there is such a breadth of range.

There may be an overall theme to the poems or words, but each one is so different and appears to relate to separate and distinct moments or things. Almost as if it's spontaneous and random, which of course poetry can be. Thoughts appearing like a flash, memories flowing in moments of nostalgia and questions that can no longer be answered.

I actually think Rivers could perform these as performance art. Some of the pieces have that staccato feel, without method or conscious decision. Let us hear the turmoil, the anger, confusion, sadness and grief in words gripped out of the air and hurtled towards us in an attempt to solidify emotions and ultimately to comprehend.

It's a conversation in poetry with the author. Moments, words, thoughts and emotions all wrapped up in small packages.

Buy The Sea Refuses No River at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Fly on the wall poetry; pub date 21 Jun. 2019. Buy at Amazon com. Buy at Fly on the wall poetry.