A Jar of Sticklebacks explores themes as diverse as love, death, racism, war, nature, popular culture and the passing of time. Each is imbued with a gentle sensitivity and a generosity, to both his subject matter and his reader, which harks back to the old-school poets. While David refers to some of these masters in his Afterword: Auden, Yeats, Larkin, Hughes and Plath, to name just a handful; his voice is entirely original, anchored in his own rich life experience. REVIEWS: March 2013: The reader is left with strong images, of love, death, nature, relationships, poignant reminiscences from journeys. I returned several times to the drama of 'Far Above Rubies.' In the scene a woman looks from a window over the ramparts of a castle, is then blindfolded by her husband and led to the window of another room. A few facets: '... he put his hand in the small of her back ...' such a gentle gesture, followed by ... 'he pulled the cloth hard from her head ... shocking her ... she watched the body move this way, that way ... listened to the rope creak ...' The woman's response (I won't give it away) renders her husband's revenge futile. Many moments to cherish, like the delightful and tender evocations of the poet's relationship with his granddaughter. 'It's a chancy universe, little one ' And the line in 'A Jar of Sticklebacks, a memory of the poet's own grandpa '... imagine me holding up to the light, unbroken, a jar with all your wishes, all your hopes.' The reader partakes of the blessing. Ashen Venema, writer/blogger (originally reviewed on Amazon) April 2012: I love this poet. He renders the ordinary extraordinary. The mundane becomes sacred. The emotion is so intense in such a quiet way and his clarity never misses a beat. Jane Barthes, Artist February 2012: "He is very good indeed. I have read 4 and am too full for more at the moment. Blooming '...with her longed for future...'" Arthur Smith, comedian For me, reading a poetry collection by a single poet can become a highly intimate affair. You are given direct access to the thought processes and feelings of the creator. Sometimes this peep into the simplest or most intimate moments or thoughts leaves you feeling like a voyeur, stalking through the mundane made majestic and the passionate bottled. Sometimes it is so raw... read more: Gav & Fortom's Posterous Gav Cross, blogger 'What intelligent writing 'A Jar of Sticklebacks' proves that the phrase 'intellectual poetry' isn't an oxymoron. The verse flows deceptively smoothly: every few lines, I stopped to relish a particular image or turn of phrase. Like the singing Miller of Dee, David's work is both lyrical and disrespectful. I'm delighted to have discovered this talented poet.' Jane Bailey Bain, Author of 'LifeWorks' A Jar of Sticklebacks presents a portrait of the last hundred years through the vision of its writer, whose presence is rooted in his beloved Hoole (a part of Chester). This is the century covered by his own life, and the lives of his parents and grandparents, whose dramatic times he briefly shared but whose survival in the face of war and revolution persistently and movingly intrude on the world that the poems evoke... The poem of the title is the present end to a journey evoked by the majority of poems. The jar in question is broken, and the fish's survival is in doubt, but not the memories, hopes and dreams that they come to represent... Its dedication to his granddaughter, perfectly describes a man for whom love and wisdom have helped transform his outlook on a world that has seen conflict and disillusionment, but where hope and delight still triumph. I have lived with David's poetry for nearly 40 years, and have looked to see a collection such as these for most of that time. His inspiration for living and for others breathes through his writing for anyone who is not lucky enough to know him J A Huddart, Poet