Don't Go

'Don't Go', the second collection of poetry by John Eliot, explores themes of memory, love, loss and death. The poet draws on wide and varied influences, from his own background as a teacher of religion to music, and the discovery of Richard III's bones near his old school in England. The reader will find examples of poems that reflect religion, such as Prayer, John 1 and Crucifix. Anne Neville, the wife of Richard III, provides a connection with the poet's home in France. Reflections on mortality were stirred by the loss of his mother in 2015 as well as the deaths the same year of two close friends who were the same age as the poet. A love of music and regular readings at festivals and on radio add audio nuances to his poetry as he plays with words like a jazz musician plays with notes. After the publication of his first collection 'Ssh!' in 2014, John Eliot was commissioned to write and read 12 poems at the Musee des Beaux Arts, Angers, France. His poetry has been translated and read on French radio; his work appears in anthologies and is studied by students of English in India.