Dance of Death (these days) by Mark Juhan and illustrated by Gabriella Bailey
Published by Austin Macaulay, October 2024

It seems to me there are fewer and fewer books of poetry published. Perhaps poems are seen as no longer relevant in today’s fast paced “read it because you ought to” society, or is it simply that there are fewer poets? Maybe it’s a problem of finding a publisher prepared to take a risk on something that might be of niche interest. 

I confess this is only the second book of poems I’ve reviewed here so maybe I should share part of the blame for not drawing to people’s attention something a bit different. And this slim volume is certainly different. 

Described as being inspired by “the medieval genre which cast death as the Great Equaliser”, the poems contrast the views of various modern day characters with those of Death. So we have Death & the CEO, Death & the Hippy and so on. Each describes the end of life thoughts of the characters, painfully contrasted with those of Death him/herself. 

There’s a strong flavour of Chaucer, representing as it does a cross-section of society. And, as with Chaucer, the poems reflect the varying perspectives on life, introducing doubt around what constitutes success and personal worth. 

This is a book to read slowly and to savour, to reflect on and compare to the reader’s own life and achievements. 

As the author says in my favourite of the verses “Did you extract or gave you back?”

An interesting and genuinely different read.