Feathers in the well

By Peter Maxwell

Peter Maxwell has been honing his skill with the written word since he was young and his craft is evident when reading Feathers in the Well, his new collection of poetry.

The first few, written in his teens, reflect the after-effects World War II had on a recovering population, and his sense of social justice is obvious even at this early age.

Tucked amongst the anthology are gems redolent of the Fijian island region he spent his childhood in, with richly evocative phrases suggestive of moonlit nights and air filled with the spicy smells of paradise. His sharp sense of observation has effectively translated his boyhood feelings and impressions into wonderful imagery tinged with love and loss.

Snapshots of life during the sixties and seventies are vibrant and incisive, and capture a creative and successful career full of interesting people and places, yet the author challenges the reader as his poetry presents itself with an eye to questioning the status quo.

Some pieces in the collection evoke images of unrequited love and follow a young man’s rites of passage as he moves into maturity and its ensuing relationships. Musings on life, love, spirituality and the nature of humanity show the young man growing older and wiser, using the joy and pain of experience to colour and shape him.

Clever and observant, Feathers in the Well will entertain and amuse, provoke and inspire: it will take you from a tropical island with swaying palms to a hip bar in 1960s Sydney, from a moment on a train to reflections on a life well-lived and loved.

The author and his wife live a contented life by the sea in Queensland.

ISBN 978-0-9807066-4-2
Published by Catbird Media

1 copy: $20.00 (Plus P&H)

Larger orders are available, please email admin@catbirdmedia.com.au