A.F. Harrold's Pocket Book of Pocket Poems

This paperback (only for very large pockets!) is an offshoot of its author’s habit of sending short poems on postcards to his friends, both to cheer them up and the posties who might happen to read them. I would have said this is eccentric, but as his reasons are so well-argued and laudable, I won’t. But perhaps I am on safer ground in suggesting that arranging the poems in order of length, diminishing in size as you go through the book, is just a bit bonkers. His themes and moods are rather mixed up, coming and going, as he admits in his second introduction (why have only one?), ‘like kittens in a washing machine.’ This image maybe a little worrying to readers of a more nervous disposition, but rest assured nothing quite as disturbing appears in the poems. Well, not quite as disturbing, although the one about nose picking is a bit reminiscent of Struwwelpeter. And while I am looking for influences, like the old man I am, let’s add in Ogden Nash and Spike Milligan. So there are a lot of funny poems, absurdity and wordplay, but also some that are more just musing than amusing, on the beauties of nature and the like. I do like a lot of them, especially Remembering Good: ‘her jokes were plasters, bubble baths on winter nights, forget-me-nots and hold-me-tights- she made things right.’ They are not just for children, but for anyone with a love of words and fun. While some are not as good as others, some are brilliant, and, at more than 200 poems on somewhat fewer pages (see above), it’s top value.