For many, poetry is intimidating. If there is a scale of literary fear, a slim, mass-market paperback would probably reside in its lower reaches. A weighty, epic Russian tome would be found a fair bit higher, as would an experimental stream-of-consciousness that redefines the very nature of storytelling. None of these can rival poetry in the power to intimidate.
When reading poetry, we expect to be found wanting. We expect to resemble a family pet watching a detective drama, as all intended meaning eludes us. All too readily, earnest endeavour to appreciate poetry – which should transport us to elevated thoughts and emotions – leaves us playing the role of the inadequate philistine. Worst of all, we are left feeling utter detachment from the author. Whatever they have shown me, I cannot see it; however completely they have revealed themselves, I cannot know them.
So, Dave Seager is a brave man. Courage comes in many forms. Publishing a book of Arsenal poetry is one for sure.
RELEASE DATE: Late November 2024
‘Welcome to the Goonerverse’ is a beautifully illustrated collection of poetry that bombards with thoughts on the Arsenal, feelings about the Arsenal and memories of the Arsenal. As I write this, I have had the book for about a week and have read it straight through in each of five sittings. I have found a connection with more than 20 of the poems so far – and that number has grown with each reading.
There’s no need to be intimidated – or, if you cannot avoid it, it’s well worth overcoming the fear – because this is a proper Arsenal book written by proper Arsenal people.
Those that stepped up to the challenge of Arsenal poetry include the legendary poet Michael Rosen, actor and comedian Paul Kaye and stalwarts of the Arsenal creators’ community – such as Tim Stillman, Anushree Nande, Dan Betts, Mike Macdonald, Tony Kokkinos, Paul ‘Poz’ Cassidy, Boyd Hilton and, of course, Dave Seager himself.
Though I could say more about Tim Stillman’s ‘Evermore’ – a nail-on-head love letter to supporting our club – Alf Stewart’s ‘Red and White Angels’ – a candid disclosure of how his Arsenal backstory intertwines with darkness in his family history – Anushree Nande’s beautiful trilogy that dissects into three parts the sense of belonging to our club, or Seager’s and Rosen’s heart-wrenching tributes to their sadly-departed sons, I will spotlight one other contributor’s work.
In my view, the three poems by Paul Hepker (also known as Invinciblog across various platforms) are the unexpected highlight of the volume. I will leave you to discover these idiosyncratic gems for yourself, but present a few lines of ‘only’ as a deliciously stylish aperitif:
it’s only a game, she said
only a team of grown men
trying to kick a ball into a net
only dazzling red and white dots
darting across glorious green
only the cannons on our chests
and the pride that it instils
only the roar of the crowd in my ears
and the rawness in my throat from roaring
only the desire to win
and the delight in winning
only the despair
that defeat brings
Extract of ‘only’ by Paul Hepker, 2024
It may or may not be worth noting that a poem of my own – titled ‘Dislocated Yet Unbroken’ – is included in the anthology. Unconfident that my talent would be sufficient to withstand the reflected glare of a blank page, I took inspiration from the not-so-recent scribblings of a geezer who wrote his quota of rhymes: William Blake, and particularly his poem ‘London’ from 1794. To manage the anxiety that arose from having the temerity to pretend to rank of poet, I replicated the structure of Blake’s ‘London’ down to the number of syllables in each line. However, as Blake was a regular at neither Highbury nor the Grove, I took only a few key words to resonate with the original. Though Blake was no gooner, he provided the place to start and a route to follow.
To illustrate my approach to remixing a classic, here is the first stanza of the old fella’s effort followed by the first few lines of my newly Arsenal-ised version that will hit the printing press 230 years later:
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
Extract of ‘London’ by William Blake, 1794
I wander from before to now
A path from a departed field.
Our pilgrimage displaced somehow
Renewed modernity revealed.
Extract of ‘Dislocated yet unbroken’ by me, 2024
[For those noting that, compared to our Willy, my name is of markedly lesser renown in the poetry world, I point to the fact that, very much like myself, Blake was largely unrecognised as a great poet during his lifetime. For me, as it did for him, time will tell.]
Whether or not you would naturally gravitate towards a poetry anthology, the five principal reasons to dive into this one are: (i) it’s about the Arsenal; (ii) many of these poets were far more intimidated by the prospect of writing a poem than you are by the prospect of reading them; (iii) you will come to understand that each poem is one Arsenal supporter’s truth; (iv) you will come to understand that these poems are a gateway to truths held by every Arsenal supporter; and (v) every purchase makes a donation to the Arsenal Foundation!
My advice: be as brave as Dave Seager; open your mind and heart to this poetry.
'Welcome to the Goonerverse' will be published by Legends Publishing in November 2024 and is available for pre-order here.
PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION
Never one to rest on his laurels, and always seeking to challenge himself, prolific Arsenal scribe, Dave Seager, is back with something completely different! In Goonerverse, having written some very personal poetry, in the aftermath of the loss of his son, Seager looks to build on that, largely experimental creativity, with Arsenal as his inspiration.
As he says, being passionate about the subject matter undoubtedly helps the creative juices flow easier. However, Seager, was still under no illusion about his ability to build an Arsenal infused anthology alone. His solution was to approach Arsenal supporting professional poets, friends and the wider UK and Global fanbase to reinforce his own poetic endeavours, and he was not disappointed.
Whether you consider yourself a lover of poetry or not, we genuinely believe that all Arsenal supporters will love this unique book, which is of course the perfect gift for the favourite Gooner in your life this Christmas. In purchasing this entirely unique book, you will also be supporting The Arsenal Foundation, in their excellent work both in the North London community and globally. An element of each book bought will be donated by the author to Arsenal’s flagship charity, and we are proud to be associated with and supporting their continued great work.
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