A literary review by Sam Bartle

Having spent my early childhood in the East Yorkshire seaside town of Withernsea, it holds a special place in my heart, so I couldn’t resist reviewing the work of poet Dean Wilson, who refers to himself magnanimously as ‘Withernsea’s 2nd Best Poet’! Dean has gained great public acclaim and affection for his words, and has also achieved fame for his pebble-picking on Holderness coast beaches which he transformed into a successful social media feature (‘Pebble Of The Day‘), that he ran for almost three years, and now continues that popularity with content for ‘Dean’s Discoveries‘ in the Holderness Gazette. His friend, the writer and producer Dave Lee, has also made a number of short films with Dean in celebration of his work, usually at coastal locations.

When deciding which of Dean’s books to review, I was immediately drawn to ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse‘, perhaps because I used to live in Withernsea and immediately realised the title was both a reference to the landmark white lighthouse that towers over the town, and also a euphemism for some form of amorous activity! Indeed, the title is a perfect abstract of two key themes that seem to occupy the book: Across an incredible 55 poems, the author skilfully sets raw emotions like desire, love, and perhaps also loneliness, against the backdrop of a mundane Holderness landscape. However, this is far from derogatory and acts as a nod of affection to the whole area, which Dean interweaves with his trademark brand of subtle humour. Arguably, not all of the poems deal with these themes, but I think this is something that particularly stands out for the reader. The work is firmly and unapologetically based on rhyming verse, and the rhymes come thick and fast. Perhaps this is best summed up by his poem, ‘Holderness’ in which he references his deep affection for rhyme:

“I’m on the bus
to Hornsea
there’s
no one
on the top
deck but me
I’m rhyming furiously
because rhyme sets me free…”

‘Holderness’, from ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’ page 22, by Dean Wilson

As someone who shares the author’s fondness for rhyme, this resonated with me as a reader, and I found myself enjoying the simple yet effective way that Dean delivers his refrains and arranges the poems on the page. In many of the poems, the lines are set out in couples, sometimes only two-three words in length, making them accessible to read. This means that the reader can just enjoy the rhyme and doesn’t have to read and re-read each stanza to interrogate and unpick intricate literary devices and meaning. Some of the best writing is arguably that which delivers its message succinctly and doesn’t try to attain greater depth by shrouding itself in mystery and, in this book, the messages are simple and clear. One of those messages is the desire to be loved:

“Kiss me under
the pier, dear
kiss me ’til
my lips are sore
and my teeth
lose their veneer…”

‘Kiss Me Under The Pier’, from ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’ page 11, by Dean Wilson

Obviously, the reader can detect the humour within the writing but you can also sense the author’s desire for passion, and this accumulates through the collective reading of each poem:

“…pin me against
a haystack
there are worst men
you could adore

pin me against
a haystack
your hot hands
will help me thaw.”

‘Pin Me Against A Haystack’, from ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’ page 50, by Dean Wilson

The poem after which the book is entitled, perhaps encapsulates this emotion best:

“Take me up
the lighthouse
it’s been quite
a while

take me up
the lighthouse
please don’t
run a mile…”

‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’, from ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’ page 45, by Dean Wilson

Many of the poems in the book also reflect on the object of desire and the various men that the author has been attracted by on his travels. Poems such as ‘Guard’, ‘Pipe Fitters’, ‘Yacht’, ‘Kevin Webster’, ‘Gary’, ‘Queen Street‘, and ‘The Lifeboatman‘ all contain subtle notes of that secret desire for the strangers he meets, and are sometimes characterised by Dean’s contemplations of what would happen if his romantic ambitions were to be revealed:

“…maybe we’ll
become pals
and drink in
The Alma together

or maybe he’ll shun
me in the street
when he realises
it’s romance I’m after.”

‘Halifax Dish’, from ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’ page 34, by Dean Wilson

In the poem, ‘And Then Where Would I Be?’, Dean meditates on finding love itself, and the consequences that may have for his poetry, reconciling that the search for love is perhaps what keeps the flame of his creativity burning and allows him to continue writing. To find love, might therefore jeopardise his poetry:

“…Do I really
want to wake up

in a big strong
man’s arms

if it means
never waking

up with
a verse?”

‘And Then Where Would I Be?’, from ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’ page 40, by Dean Wilson

On the basis of having read this book, I believe the fear would prove unfounded, and finding love would actually steer the author’s creativity in new directions, and of course, I don’t think it would alter his ability to find observational humour in his surroundings (as in ‘Bus 1’, ‘Bus 2’, ‘Bus 3’, and ‘Bus 4’, for example), nor would it dampen his articulation and celebration of his beloved ‘With‘ (Withernsea) and the rest of the Holderness area:

“…roll up
your slacks

take off
your vest

everyone knows
With is the best.”

‘With Is The Best’, from ‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse’ page 60, by Dean Wilson

‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse‘ is a charming take on the world, as seen through the eyes of the author, and you can’t help but smile as he takes you on this ride of rhyme through Holderness, making it a must-read for any aficionado of the rhyming verse.

By Sam Bartle

(‘Take Me Up The Lighthouse‘ by Dean Wilson is available to buy from Wrecking Ball Music and Books in Hull or online from Wrecking Ball Press .

You can also find it in the ‘Shop’ section of Dean’s website, ‘DeanWorld‘, where you can learn more about the poet himself: www.deanworld.org).

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