In this compilation, Nicolas Hagger demonstrates his
timeless visionary and story telling abilities. His collection of poems, ‘Quest
for the One’, is enthralling and takes you on an historic and literary journey
and weaved within the tapestry are the thoughts, experiences, beliefs and ideas
of the author.
The preface succinctly gives the reader insight and
prelude to the poems. Nicholas Hagger is a man of many skills and abilities, a
historian, educator and writer, here skilfully and generously prepares us with
enough information to whet our appetite before we venture through the myriad of
verses of his mind and soul.
His passion for the literary works of the past and his insatiable thirst for truth and knowledge are apparent. He explores his own thoughts within a context of a variety of situations and is self aware on emotional, political and spiritual levels.
‘Quest for the One’ is not a book to read in one sitting,
in a similar way, to get to know someone’s personality and character also takes
time. The poems are fit for scholarly interpretation, which would sit well in an
academic setting, in libraries to be shared with Philosophy, English Literature,
History and Political Studies.
His spiritual depth and openness is impressive and like a
true mystic, he courageously surrenders for all to ‘see’ his truth. Therefore, a
true seer whose raison d'etre is not to keep wisdom and truth hidden, but like a
demon possessed, or an angelic guide, Hagger captures the darkness and light of
humanity and pours his heart into his prose poems to both inform and share what
he witnesses. He shares
his awakening from his youth to his later years, through ordinary and
extraordinary experiences, with one important theme – to create order from chaos
through poetry. He shows deep
empathy for the afflictions of the heart and for the human condition and covers
sensitive topics such as the loss of love and the bereavement of loved ones. In
the preface he explains beautifully, ‘The soul
shapes the fragments of the universe it perceives “into one” like an
archaeologist piecing together the fragments of an unearthed urn. In contrast,
the social ego’s reason analyses and dissects, sees distinctions rather than
similarities, breaks the One into bits and is separated from the unitive
vision’.
This book is a quest, and needs to be revered and read as
if you have found a jewelled treasure. Once you read the preface you are in a
better position to understand and appreciate the workings of the poet’s mind.
What intrigued me was Hagger’s rich and diverse ‘secret’
life as a British agent which affected his personal life and helped to shape his
thoughts about the ‘follies’ of society. There are some poems that
will capture your heart more than others. For myself, these were of the loss of
his mother. I also enjoyed ‘Chill Fingers’, ‘Beethoven’ and ‘Earth’, as these
resonate with my own sentiments.
There is something for everyone in Hagger’s collection of
poems, ‘Quest for the One’. To be more specific, I think this is for anyone who
dares to try and ‘piece together fragments of an unearthed urn’ which is
suggested within the text. I am a
writer and poet and I too know the longings of the soul to question and seek
answers that the heart puts forth. The mind often has a field day trying to
reason and confuse the heart but the soul sits quietly waiting for its chance to
intervene and expose the truth The soul is an
exhibitionist and wants the world to know its secrets. Hagger does this most
skilfully through this beautiful, knowledgeable and inspired poem collection.
Reviewed by
Christina Christou www.writetherapies.com
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