I was handed a new book of poems and asked to prepare a review. As it was given to me by Caymanian Peter Westin, a man I have known now for nearly ten years, I was honoured to have been so asked and excited.

Peter Westin is, in my opinion, the finest Caymanian writer of poetry (that doesn’t rhyme) and has been sadly neglected by the Cayman arts institutes. His poetry holds its own against any of the internationally acclaimed and well known writers.

His new book is called “Fragments of a Conversation” and comprises approximately 95 poems of various lengths, he has coauthored with his daughter Kathleen Westin.

I know Kathleen won’t mind me saying that the words “also includes” could have been applied in front of her name, as her contribution, according to my count, was only five. Not that in anyway diminishes the quality of her work.

I am not a poet nor have I really liked poetry, especially the “nonsense poetry that doesn’t rhyme” until I joined the Cayman Islands Writers Circle and met H.M. Peter Westin (“His Majesty”).

I learnt quite quickly that there is a lot more to poems that don’t rhyme. The metre that runs through them is one and the use of as few words as possible to paint a thought provoking picture soon became something I appreciated and admired. It is something I cannot do from years of trying.

Peter writes very long (some almost 3 pages) poems and others that might have only a few lines and these latter ones – the fragments of poems – are the ones I like best. This is not because I can’t get bored with them. It is because I marvel at how so few words can me think so long about these so few words.

Here is an illustration:

It is a Haiku (poems written mainly in three short lines that capture a feeling, image or even something less serious) and called after what must have taken Peter hours to come up with, “Haiku 2”. (What happened to Haiku 1?)

“the morning sunlight

spills from the shallow of God’s

hand, a gift of love.”

I can ponder on those few words and the images and thoughts that they bring to my mind go on for hours.

One of Peter’s longest ones called “The Hunt” is about a poor iguana and starts – “crouches low flattening himself along the top ridge of the rock wall, motionless… in an attempt to throw off his pursuers; to escape undetected, becoming part of cement rock, and the splotchy collage of bush shadows and leaves of nearby hibiscus.”

The poor iguana is being chased by three youths with two “lunging pit bulls on chains” and eventually find, corner and snatch him up before probably being given to the dogs. “The terrified hissing and the frantic fury of clawing legs” goes one of the passages and the poem ends up with this thought provoking paragraph:

“Dogs and iguanas and young lads do not mix well; and watching from my kitchen window I did not envy the uncertain future of this creature; my afternoon wounded by the senseless callous nature of the hunt… and my own failure of response to these trespassers in my haven.”

My favourite is this one called “Trust”.

To see the Grace of tomorrow

While staring into the creased face

of today’s uncertainty

Peter’s daughter, Kathleen, writes in various styles and has “caught” some of Peter’s gift for appreciating life around us:

Majesty of Life

A tiny bud on the end of a stick

Needs sun, water, and time.

Watch as it develops into something beautiful,

be awestruck at its intricate design and structure.

Witness the changes in its form,

Smell the sweet fragrance of its being.

No one can touch and behold its wonder and still doubt love’s existence.

A new bud brings hope and anticipation of the future bloom.

Such a noble, worthy creation, but a little flower.

A friend of mine and occasional iNews Cayman columnist, Carol-Ann Rudy, commented, “ Poetry is the language of emotion whilst narrative writing is the language of the intellect.” How right she is.

“Fragments of a Conversation” is a real treasure. There is a lot there for everyone to enjoy. With each reading you will discover more jewels and you will be richer for it.

I can thoroughly recommend.