Enduring Freedom: An Afghan Anthology ed. Ryan Gearing

Foreword by His Grace, the Duke of Westminster, with an introduction by Sir Andrew Motion.

I know - two anthologies of war poetry in one night. What can I say about this, that I did not say about ‘Heroes’? Actually, Enduring Freedom is a fundraising anthology for Combat Stress. Because of this association, it is attempting to position itself rather differently from the more inclusive anthologies.

There are often short collections of poems from the poets. Many are serving, some have sons and husbands who are serving. There are also contributions from those still fighting against PTSD, depression and anxiety. Because of this focus, this is definitely not a trite or banal collection – there is no false pride. There is anger, cynicism and despair. The poets are not afraid to be controversial –Michael Brett’s poem ‘The Entry of Osama Bin Laden into Paradise’ and JB Brown’s poem ‘The Conservation of Angular Momentum’ are good examples.


So Enduring Freedom is an edgy, lively poetry collection with a dark heart. Because of this, I liked it even more than I liked ‘Heroes’. The poems are born out of Afghanistan, but they resonate into any life, and deal with the core of all good poetry – the human condition.

Again, it is hard to pick out quotes, since it is my very subjective choice, and I am in no way implying that the quotes come from the best poems in the collections, but as we prepare for Remembrance Day, the direct, elegant phrases of ‘War Memorial’ by Sheila Webb stood out.





5 Mr Mushroom heads for a poetry collection that deserves to be a lasting memorial.

Lucretia


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Enduring Freedom: An Afghan Anthology. Compiling Editor Ryan Gearing.
Enduring Freedom is a fundraising anthology for Combat Stress.