Jacky Power, psychologist, performer, and poet, has the goal to “rehumanise us one poem at a time”.
Her collection of poetry, based on her 2021 show of the same name, is arranged into ten sections, or reasons to stop the world.
Some poems are extremely successful on the page: Poppy looks at the reality behind a disruptive child excluded from school; Our Moonlit Path has the safety of froendship; The Commute, Sunday Love Songs and I Did A Vart In Yoga have an amusing slant to everyday experiences.
There are also nuggets of self help here, about dealing with loneliness, fear, or pressure to be ‘beautiful’. Moments of hope brush against the acknowledgement that motherhood is both a joy and a curse; Odd Socks is a profound piece on equality.
Power’s Coronavirus poems, appearing early in the collection, are perhaps the weakest – or it may just be we have experienced and heard enough on this topic. Much stronger is a fervent plea to Mr Luke Keemia to f- off, while The Weed, Greenwashing and All At Sea look at memories and value.
From a show on stage to poems on a page is a tricky balance: however you have the choice to read this book or to see Power perform the show at the Edinburgh Fringe in August.
To obtain the book of Stop The World, I Want To Get Off (which has no connection to the musical of the same name), you can purchase via Amazon, or visit Jacky Power’s website. It is published by Truebeing Books.