Diagnosed with heart disease at age 48, Roy Bayfield embarked on a 'patient journey' involving major surgery and a lengthy recovery. Written during the various stages of this unsettling adventure, his poetry reveals the joys and terrors of an encounter with the 'frontier of bodies and time'. "These in-depth meditations on our physical and emotional vulnerability simply held me in awe. . .A wonderful mid-life-affirming book" - André Stitt, Professor of Performance and Interdisciplinary Art at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff "A touching and darkly funny insight into a man facing open heart surgery with courage, insight and poetic waspishness" - Roy Smiles, author, Year of the Rat, Kurt & Sid "Will be invaluable to nurses and other professionals who work with patients with similar conditions" - Chris Jones, editor, Issues in Heart Failure Nursing
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Jozephine
Roy Bayfield was about half way through another personal pilgrimage, a walk in stages from Southport Pier to Brighton Pier, when he was diagnosed with heart disease which required life saving intervention. His literal journey suddenly became a metaphorical one down the heart bypass of life and this interesting juxtaposition is at the core of this fabulous little book.
His poetry is lean and witty without a trace of mawkishness or self-pity and it does not veer into gallows humour in order to deflect some of the raw emotion it evokes. The poems were written at the time, in the waiting room, in the ward, in recovery and feel like the literary equivalent of whistling in the dark. They are immediate and intensely personal. This is human experience laid bare, not for the faint-hearted but eminently readable and full of hope.
A master stroke was the inclusion of a poem by Jennie Barnsley, "Mrs Bayfield", which is a reflection on the change in their relationship Roy's illness has brought about. Suddenly we get a different point of view and a wider sense of, not just the hospital ward and frailty of the human body, but the longer term ramifications of serious illness.
This is a good read whether you are sick, well or just enjoy good poetry.
His poetry is lean and witty without a trace of mawkishness or self-pity and it does not veer into gallows humour in order to deflect some of the raw emotion it evokes. The poems were written at the time, in the waiting room, in the ward, in recovery and feel like the literary equivalent of whistling in the dark. They are immediate and intensely personal. This is human experience laid bare, not for the faint-hearted but eminently readable and full of hope.
A master stroke was the inclusion of a poem by Jennie Barnsley, "Mrs Bayfield", which is a reflection on the change in their relationship Roy's illness has brought about. Suddenly we get a different point of view and a wider sense of, not just the hospital ward and frailty of the human body, but the longer term ramifications of serious illness.
This is a good read whether you are sick, well or just enjoy good poetry.
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A meditation on the walking and suffering body, the story of a pilgrim first halted and then healed. Wonderfully well written; the intense prose of ambulation reveals, then the spare poetry of rehabilitation measures. Fabulous. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the body they walk in.
By HP
Beautiful if at times harrowing piece of literature. If you have suffered a major operation, illness, organ deficiency, have lived with someone who has, or know of someone going through this, then this book could be for you. Even, like me, if you haven't, read it to give you an alternative perspective(s) on life and appreciate the beauty and mystery of your body and everything around you.Bypass Pilgrim
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