Cobbett's Field
by
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From page 54: The accident Sharpening the scythe, releasing the steel from the rusted blade, the honing stone passing back and forth, mesmeric, the cutting edge thinning to infinity, the hand slipping out of true alignment, slicing deep into the guiltless finger, meeting prophecy in a gush of blood.
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About the Book
Explanation Cobbett's Field was first published for private circulation in 1997. Since then it has been through four revisions. With the present edition (for general sale) five poems have been omitted since they are now available in Rückblick II. However, there is some duplication in the case of four poems which also appear in War (2007). Moreover, a handful of poems with a war theme appear here that are not included in War. Ten poems have been added to the original content. There has also been some readjustment to the order of presentation. August 2007 Introduction to the First Edition Reading poetry simply reinforces for me what fickle creatures we are. I have had my way with the presentation as with the words themselves. It has all been carefully thought through (that much is to be hoped for at least). There is no saying, however, that I won’t have a different mind of the matter tomorrow. I had wanted this selection to be representative, but then nothing can be that without exposing the entire corpus - an unthinkable act. August 1997
About the Author
John Vetterlein was born in 1935. He spent the years of the Second World War at Redbridge, on the eastern approaches to London, and considers himself fortunate to have survived the V1 (flying bomb) and V2 (rocket) attacks. His father served throughout that war in the Royal Air Force. Having studied physics and mathematics, Vetterlein went on to work in civilian hospitals as a conscientious objector to military National Service. Before continuing his studies in chemistry and pharmacology, he worked as an astronomer and lecturer. In 1971, following a short spell as a secondary school teacher in London, Vetterlein moved to Wales in order to concentrate on writing and music. He worked in the Music Department, University College of Wales, Aberystwyth from 1983 until its closure in 1990. John Vetterlein is a true polymath. He is a prolific writer: his fiction output alone includes sixteen novels, six books of short stories, long stories, plays for radio and twenty poetry collections. An active musician, John Vetterlein is a member of the Haydn Society of Great Britain, the Rachmaninoff Society and the Ralph Vaughan Williams Society. His association with Orkney goes back to 1970. He has lived on Rousay full-time since 1990 from where he pursues his interests in astronomy, hill walking, music, photography and writing.