Real Boys by Thomas Stewart
In his debut poetry collection Real Boys, Thomas Stewart explores ideas of identity, masculinity and sexuality and the complications of grief and guilt
Depending on the time in your life you encounter it, poetry can connect in a way which verges on the visceral. That’s the case with Thomas Stewart's debut collection Real Boys. These poems examine themes of identity, masculinity and sexuality, but it’s the inquiries into the complexities of grief and guilt (inspired by the death of his father, to whom the book is dedicated) which hit hardest.
From the opening Give Me My Grief Back, arresting imagery is married to serious intent. What follows are poems written with beauty, insight, and a warmth and wit which makes them all the more impactful. Reminiscent in some ways of the poetry of Edwin Morgan – and not just because in One Cigarette and Tobacco respectively they have written memorable smoking-related poems – both use everyday imagery, often from the natural world, to convey emotion and sensuality.
In Real Boys there are seeds, bees, conkers, acorns; the ubiquity of the objects allowing for greater empathy and understanding. There are also references to contemporary culture. It was unexpected to discover poems entitled Gladiator(s), Babadook, and even Sister Act II. Real Boy alludes to Pinocchio and asks questions of just what makes a boy ‘real’, and the expectations which allow masculine stereotypes to pertain, a theme which runs throughout.
With Real Boys, Thomas Stewart has offered us a collection of intensely personal, often painful, but ultimately life-affirming poetry.