HOMECOMING...Prose, Poetry, Senryu

HOMECOMING...Prose, Poetry, Senryu  

By a Norwegian sailor -  stunning, candid reflections of a life on sea and land.  

Published by Cyberwit.net, 2007, ISBN  978-81-8253-121-5, First Edition, 140 pages, paperback,  $15,00.  

HOMECOMING is the third one of a triptych of poems:  End Of A Voyage, Homeward Bound, Homecoming.

Hansen takes us on an unforgettable journey through his life as a high seas roller.  An adventure of brilliant insights.  His love, respect and understanding of both nature and humanity with all its foibles.  He shocks us into another world with humour and pathos.  All masterfully written in prose, poetry and senryu of literary signifance.  

Jan Oskar Hansen makes us his shipmate and companion on a journey of a lifetime where we experience through his writing, each powerful, immediate, enlightening observations.  His fresh individuality leads us to worlds of wonder, delights us in earthy pleasures with a philosophical twist.  We become part of the tapestry he has woven of his multifaceted experiences.  

We feel his emotions and passion for the written word as he witnesses many cultures, learns new languages and grows his imagination which is at once 'dazzling', thought provoking, candid, richly spiced with intimacy, dream, reality and vast visual vistas of profound awareness of nature in all its vitality.  

In conclusion, here is an example of what you will find in HOMECOMING, Jan Oskar Hansen's most recent brilliant achievement.  

THE OLD TART  

She's and old tramp ship now, can't afford to hire proper crew, only harbour dregs, to take her to the next port.  For some of us she's home we try to keep her afloat a lick of paint here and there when it can be bought cheap or stolen from a warehouse, that's getting hard now that all cargo are shipped by containers, locked and sealed.  She was riding yellow swells, off Hock van Holland, when news come she's to be sold as scrap iron the dregs are glad to be ashore bellies full of rum king.  For us who loved the old lady it's sad day, for us she will be the last ship, we know well that we don't fit the new merchant navy regime, roll on roll off no time for poker and a little whisky.  

SENRYU  

The angry ocean

Left its irate foam behind

In secret coves

LOVES LAMENT

In the morning breeze I can hear you voice

softly calling my name

in the haze I can see

the contours of you face

In the meadow's stream

I hear you laughter and

the water in the well is as clear as your tears

the day you said farewell

All in nature reminds me of you,

transient our love, like the flowering almond tree;

beauty never lasts and it was yesteryear.

HAPPY ENDING?  

Love is overrated

The cynical sardonically say

But it keeps us sane  

Literary review (2008) by Barbara Elizabeth Mercer, Author, Poet, Visual Artist ( Canada ) based upon 'Homecoming', published by cyberwit.net, 2007, ISBN978-81-8253-121-15 First Edition

JAN OSKAR HANSEN ( Portugal ).  His poems have been published in 20 literary magazines worldwide, including:

Hudson Review, USA, Skyline, USA, Skald, Wales, La rue Bella, England, The Bards, England, War is a dangerous place, England, The Black Mountain Review, Ireland, ARS Poetica India, India, Braquemard, England, Firefly Magazine, USA, Pphoo, India, Taj Mahal Review, India, Remark Magazine, USA, Journal of Anglo-Scandinavian Poetry, England.  

His poems appear in many anthologies.  Collections 'Letters from Portugal' (bewrite books) Bristol, 'La Strada' Lapwing Publishers), Belfast, 'End of Voyage' (WFP New York), 'Marilyn Monroe Remembered'  Erbacce Press, Liverpool, 'The Fairground' Ranch, India (out of print now).   

BARBARA ELIZABETH MERCER (CANADA) Poet, Visual Artist, Author of 4 books of poetry published by Cyberwit,net ( India ), SECRETS, 2008, LEGACY, 2007, SELF PORTRAIT, 2006, MYSTIC WILLS, 2005.  Co-author with Steve Chering, London , UK , book of poetry WHEN POETS COLLIDE, Pub. Lulu,com, USA ,  Her paintings, in Public Collections: University of Toronto Art Centre , Imperial Oil, Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa , Canada . Many international private collections.