The website currently includes my first three poetry collections: “Thank You, Moscow,” “A Little Bit Broken,” and “The Last Castle of Kemal.” Audio files with my readings accompany each poem.
‘Thank You, Moscow’ is a collection of fifteen poems created since approximately 2010 during what was then my daily walk from my home just north of Moscow’s Garden Ring road to work near Lubyanka Square or on late-night flights back to Moscow from Russian, ex-Soviet, or Balkan cities.
‘A Little Bit Broken’ is my second collection of fifteen poems written in the main during the same period as the collection ‘Thank You Moscow’, with these selected poems expressing direct emotions of happiness and hurt, often to personal events. Sporadically, a theme or combination of words bounced around in my head that needed to be purged, and poetry was my release for this. Invariably, the contemplation becomes somewhat grey or melancholy, but with a close and supportive family, there is plenty of joy, too.
‘The Last Castle of Kemal,’ my third poetry collection, emerged from a transitional period in my life. Written partly during the turbulence of the COVID-19 pandemic, it reflects my journey of leaving Russia in 2021 and rebuilding our life in Türkiye. These introspective poems explore themes of identity, displacement, societal structures, and the human condition. The collection took shape after a reunion after more than three decades with Sergei Popolzin, a remarkable artist whose struggles to reconnect with his craft were the catalyst for gathering my scattered reflections into this collection. The poem ‘1 January, 00 Hours 30’ draws directly from Sergei’s painting of the same name. His life and resilience are a profound inspiration for me.”
Thank you for visiting. The poems are personal to me. I hope you find some interest, pleasure, or even emotional connection in one or several.
With kindest regards
Darren