Alongside serving as a Green Party councillor in Worcester, Neil Laurenson has recently launched his first poetry pamphlet. Published by Coventry-based Silhouette Press, Exclamation Marx! is a collection of witty commentaries on the political and social issues of life in present-day Britain.
The eponymous first poem was published in the Rogues issue of Here Comes Everyone (HCE) magazine, and several of the other pieces have also appeared in HCE over the years. For Silhouette Press, who founded HCE, these successes cemented Laurenson’s reputation as a talented poet and they were then happy for the opportunity to work with him when he submitted his manuscript. ‘A Sub-Editor’s Last Day’ achieved success in the Inspired by My Museum International Writing Competition and was printed in the subsequent anthology, while ‘Mole’ received a commendation from George Szirtes as part of the Norwich Open Writers’ Circle Poetry Competition. Additionally, some of Laurenson’s work has been published in Hand Job zine, Poetry Potion and Brittle Star.
Laurenson is self-deprecating towards his own work, describing his delivery as oscillating somewhere between comedy and poetry. His collection is geared towards performance, and even advises at the start that the book is “(to be read aloud)”. I can attest to the appeal these pieces hold for a live audience, having had the pleasure of seeing him recite a selection from Exclamation Marx! at his Coventry book launch. People in the crowd seemed to appreciate the poet’s blend of political frustration with clever puns and light-hearted observations.
Almost every poem in the pamphlet satisfies with a punchline; however, Laurenson does not rely solely on this device, taking care to include plenty of clever lines and puns throughout. A few of the poems take this humour to the extreme, passing through with the brevity of formulaic jokes, whereas the remainder are more anecdotal. Subject matter ranges from portrayal of petty individuals to the trials of marriage and fatherhood, such as in ‘Russian Maths’:
“Witness our son
Who subtracted three and a half
Russian dolls
From a family of ten
By flushing them down the toilet.”
through to wry politics, some of which is becoming more relevant by the day, as can be seen in ‘Selection of Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Barking and Dogenham’:
“His profile is quite literally low
And he dribbles down his chin
But you won’t doubt his dedication
Nor his willingness to please.
Yes, there’s the defecation
But look at the current MPs –”
These attacks on the British Party system and on specific ideologies – those of the Tories, UKIP and even a swipe at failed Socialism – will feel welcome to certain demographics in the current climate. It could be argued that this perhaps puts the collection in danger of becoming dated but, unfortunately, I doubt that the political mess will sort itself out any time soon. In the meantime, have a read of Exclamation Marx! and let Laurenson reassure you there are plenty of laughs to be had in the face of austerity.
Many of the poems are structured around a consistent scheme with AABB or ABAB end-rhymes, while others take a more adventurous approach with internal rhymes or only occasional rhyming to assist the flow and pace. The suburban despair creatively explored in ‘Death in Basingstoke’ and, although inspired by Edward Thomas’ Adlestrop, the everyday bleakness of ‘Something Original’:
“And for a minute you scowled at me
As if to say
I should have been more respectful,
More religious,
And it seemed that God agreed
As the sky growled and it rained.”
invite comparisons to Larkin’s cynicism.
As an overall collection, Exclamation Marx! would have risked fatigue had it consisted purely of protest politics. Fortunately, it features a healthy variety in terms of both content and form. Laurenson’s poetry is well-crafted and good-natured, guaranteed to provoke several smiles.
Order your copy of Exclamation Marx! (Silhouette Press, Coventry) here: www.amazon.co.uk