The Blue Hour
James Lilley
Published by Uncle B. Publications
It would appear that however far back we gaze into human history, violence has somehow shaped our evolution and relational dynamics. From early human sacrificial sites discovered in Göbekli Tepe, Turkey, dating back 10,000 years, to toddlers fighting over a generic toy, violence follows us closely. James Lilley’s The Blue Hour echoes the violence so ingrained within the human story, and yet there is a tenderness and whisper of hope that catches the breath. Lilley is an active Bareknuckle and MMA fighter, and that ferocity comes through in his work: holding the reader’s attention, reminding us that life will sometimes make you bleed.
The Blue Hour lands an emotional punch after soul connection: a flurry of powerful images and wordplay that testifies to Lilley’s skill as a poet and writer. Lilley is not scared of taking risks, pulling the curtain back on loss, regret, addiction, and crime that renders the reader vulnerable, thankful for voices like his that display such bravery. Lilley’s poetry is an example of the power that is found in honest reflections of masculinity and mental health, “Thoughts of dark swallowing me whole,” (“Thoughts”) confront the reader from the second poem in, reminding us that poetry can be a powerful vessel to carry painful messages that need to be heard.
The Blue Hour is packed full; a feast of poetry to be savored. Fifty-five poems make up the collection, an array of heart, tragedy, and love. It is a testament to Uncle B. Publications that this collection contains so many pieces. As a reader you feel you’re getting far more than you anticipated.
There is a sense throughout The Blue Hour that Lilley wants us to recognise the diversity of his life which, in many ways, reflects the complexities of the societies we live in. For him, he is not simply a man but a father, a husband, a fighter, a friend, a survivor. As such, each of those particular realities bring their own idiosyncrasies; stories told that sculpt and shape the person that he is today. “You bleed for this,” he tells us, the rawness of life, one lived under the light and scrutiny of the challenges that leave us gasping for breath. Each poem is brimming with honesty, a refusal to hide from the perceptions and judgments of others, willing to leave it all in the ring. The Blue Hour is captivating in the devastation of its beauty and pain.
My personal favorites from the collection were “The Blue Hour,” “Angel,” and “All the Trivial Things.” There are also three poems at the end: collaborations with other poets that Lilley knows. These each feel like a welcome treat at the end of a satisfying meal.
Muhammed Ali once said, “He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Lilley has shown what can be accomplished when a writer bleeds for their art.
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Hour-Uncle-Publications-LLC/dp/1957034017
Illustration by Tia Ja’nae (@articul8madness)
Author James Lilley (@jameslilley1411)
Uncle B. Publications, LLC (@unclebpublicat1)