Poetry review – THE AMYGDALA SAFARI: Peter Devonald is captivated by the heart, soul and wonder of Carmella de Keyser’s marvellous collection for the young and young at heart.
The Amygdala Safari
Carmella de Keyser
Parlyaree Press,
ISBN-10 : 1961206331
ISBN-13 : 978-1961206335
60pp
The Amygdala Safari is a quality collection of poems that tackles the troubles, traumas and transcendence of childhood and beyond. Extremely well written, the poems are full of spirit, belief and inspiration, tenderly revealing everyday wonder. There is heart here, soul and curiosity. Beauty is revealed in every moment, truth and inspiration. The magical is discovered in the prosaic, hidden family dynamics and true faith.
We drove through Manor House, he said, ‘This is the Bosphorus’,
We drove around Brick Lane, he said ‘This the Bay of Bengal’,
We drove through Brixton, he said, ‘This is Dun’s River Falls’,
We drove down Bayswater, he smiled, ‘This is the Great Sugarloaf Mountain of Brazil’
Whilst these poems about family and school life are particularly relevant for children and younger readers they will also resonate with parents and us all. Compassion shines through the book, a profound sense humanity, humour and honesty.
The poetry is assured and of a high quality. Sentence structure is varied and diverse, different line spacing and confident use of language. So many great poetic phrases and allusions, forever vivid and imaginative, such as “Butterflies dipped in melodies,” “shiny sapphire beetles” and “Clementine dusk until tangerine dawn”.
This society dreams as it floats.
There are smart, vertical cities in the sky.
And we float too in this marvellous collection.
All seasons are here, poems for every mood and moment. The poetry pops and flows elegantly. There is an understanding of the universe, a sense of individual and collective responsibility, a profound sense of community, diversity and belief.
As we all pool together in reverie and reciprocity
around the branches of our beautiful, multicoloured community tree!
There are so many affirmations, so much to admire and comfort. We all feel alone, different or awkward sometimes; this life-affirming book reassures and transforms. It’s all okay. Everything works out in the end, even in grief grandparents live on in our hearts, even if school is tricky, even if the city is tough it can become our paradise.
What could so easily be mawkish or simplistic is transformed in the hands of Carmella de Keyser into poetry that transcends and affirms. There is deep-seated honesty and authenticity, so many truth’s softly spoken. This life is far from perfect, but there are tools here to survive and thrive.
Mandy’s cave listens to her even as the clouds are opening their mouths wide,
And while the brown ground is humble and thirsty for rain,
It hears her silently, her cave never turns her away.
This book contains energetic and imaginative poetic storytelling at its best. It never sits still, new images, ideas and fun, poetry to inspire and amaze. The writing is passionate and convincing, a great love of language and people is revealed. Some of the poems have already been published on Dirigible Balloon, so already they have a strong following with teachers, schools and students.
Being very critical, some poems perhaps could do with more white space around them — room for the poems to breathe and give the reader space to pause and think. There is also an over use of trailing dots (…) and exclamation marks(!). However, given the audience, this is no doubt intentional. Perhaps titled sections in the book could mean types of poems can found easier; for instance if a child was going through certain issues then the poems could be found all together. It also would enable more pauses for the audience, natural breaks like chapters in a novel. The collection is obviously arranged in a coherent structure so would naturally fit.
Overall the writing in The Amygdala Safari is extremely impressive and often transcendent. The poems are moving, funny, clever and imaginative, an excellent book full of longevity and creativity. I am sure it is a book that will be treasured. With so much skill and talent, Carmella de Keyser is obviously one to watch in the future. I highly recommend this empowering, imaginative and inspirational collection.
Sep 6 2026
London Grip Poetry Review- Carmella de Keyser
Poetry review – THE AMYGDALA SAFARI: Peter Devonald is captivated by the heart, soul and wonder of Carmella de Keyser’s marvellous collection for the young and young at heart.
The Amygdala Safari
Carmella de Keyser
Parlyaree Press,
ISBN-10 : 1961206331
ISBN-13 : 978-1961206335
60pp
The Amygdala Safari is a quality collection of poems that tackles the troubles, traumas and transcendence of childhood and beyond. Extremely well written, the poems are full of spirit, belief and inspiration, tenderly revealing everyday wonder. There is heart here, soul and curiosity. Beauty is revealed in every moment, truth and inspiration. The magical is discovered in the prosaic, hidden family dynamics and true faith.
We drove through Manor House, he said, ‘This is the Bosphorus’,
We drove around Brick Lane, he said ‘This the Bay of Bengal’,
We drove through Brixton, he said, ‘This is Dun’s River Falls’,
We drove down Bayswater, he smiled, ‘This is the Great Sugarloaf Mountain of Brazil’
Whilst these poems about family and school life are particularly relevant for children and younger readers they will also resonate with parents and us all. Compassion shines through the book, a profound sense humanity, humour and honesty.
The poetry is assured and of a high quality. Sentence structure is varied and diverse, different line spacing and confident use of language. So many great poetic phrases and allusions, forever vivid and imaginative, such as “Butterflies dipped in melodies,” “shiny sapphire beetles” and “Clementine dusk until tangerine dawn”.
This society dreams as it floats.
There are smart, vertical cities in the sky.
And we float too in this marvellous collection.
All seasons are here, poems for every mood and moment. The poetry pops and flows elegantly. There is an understanding of the universe, a sense of individual and collective responsibility, a profound sense of community, diversity and belief.
As we all pool together in reverie and reciprocity
around the branches of our beautiful, multicoloured community tree!
There are so many affirmations, so much to admire and comfort. We all feel alone, different or awkward sometimes; this life-affirming book reassures and transforms. It’s all okay. Everything works out in the end, even in grief grandparents live on in our hearts, even if school is tricky, even if the city is tough it can become our paradise.
What could so easily be mawkish or simplistic is transformed in the hands of Carmella de Keyser into poetry that transcends and affirms. There is deep-seated honesty and authenticity, so many truth’s softly spoken. This life is far from perfect, but there are tools here to survive and thrive.
Mandy’s cave listens to her even as the clouds are opening their mouths wide,
And while the brown ground is humble and thirsty for rain,
It hears her silently, her cave never turns her away.
This book contains energetic and imaginative poetic storytelling at its best. It never sits still, new images, ideas and fun, poetry to inspire and amaze. The writing is passionate and convincing, a great love of language and people is revealed. Some of the poems have already been published on Dirigible Balloon, so already they have a strong following with teachers, schools and students.
Being very critical, some poems perhaps could do with more white space around them — room for the poems to breathe and give the reader space to pause and think. There is also an over use of trailing dots (…) and exclamation marks(!). However, given the audience, this is no doubt intentional. Perhaps titled sections in the book could mean types of poems can found easier; for instance if a child was going through certain issues then the poems could be found all together. It also would enable more pauses for the audience, natural breaks like chapters in a novel. The collection is obviously arranged in a coherent structure so would naturally fit.
Overall the writing in The Amygdala Safari is extremely impressive and often transcendent. The poems are moving, funny, clever and imaginative, an excellent book full of longevity and creativity. I am sure it is a book that will be treasured. With so much skill and talent, Carmella de Keyser is obviously one to watch in the future. I highly recommend this empowering, imaginative and inspirational collection.