The Cauldron Harmony Shared A review of Joe Adambery’s poetry book

On Valentine’s Day 2025 I was sent a random Facebook message from Vanessa Adambery. Just like many people in Gibraltar I do not ‘know’ Vanessa, but I knew who she was and would smile and say hello if ever I saw her anywhere.

I am sure we all have acquaintances like this, people we pass on our daily commute, recognise from association, or feel familiar with due to interactions on social media.

Vanessa, of course, is Joe Adambery’s daughter and she explained to me how she was helping her father publish his first poetry book.

The launch was going to take place on 15th August and she asked me if I would like to recite one of his poems at the event. I immediately checked my calendar, added a new entry and replied with an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’

If you’ve ever performed on a Gibraltar stage, be it theatre, poetry, or music of any genre, you will be familiar with Joe Adambery.

He is the guy sitting in the corner often alone scribbling away discreetly and soaking up every ounce of what he is witnessing.

Joe is the humble observer who makes the effort to go out at all hours in order to write reviews, and readers of the Gibraltar Chronicle will know him well.

He nods and smiles along and seems to enjoy all forms of local culture especially original voices who dare to be alternative.

Joe has catalogued the cultural evolution which has taken place over the last ten years where songwriters and poets are finally coming out of the shadows and performing what drives them and in whatever language they want; artistes who are not afraid to tell their stories and make social and political commentary.

Joe is the bridge between the margins and mainstream, the, dare I say it, conservative readers of our daily newspaper, and on account of his journalism people are encouraged to sit up and take notice.

Because he’s had a life full of music and creativity as a performer himself, Joe Adambery understands the value of ‘sharing and caring’ and supporting those who dare to do that terrifying thing many shy away from: bare their heart and soul on a public stage.

Sadly, there are critics who don’t bother to go and see local work, let alone take photos and write insightful reviews, so when I was asked to perform at Joe Adambery’s book launch I jumped at the chance. This is a man we should all pay homage to.

The launch of Harmony Within took place at the Gustavo Bacarisas gallery and was packed with supporters.

Joe had picked some of his favourite fellow writers to perform pieces from his book and I took my place alongside Giordano Durante, Alex Menez, Levi Attias and David Bentata.

Vanessa had previously sent each of us the poetry Joe had specially selected for us to recite; she had planned and produced the evening’s entertainment with care and precision, much like the book itself.

On the title page it says: A Musician Exploring Rhythms Through Poetry. Then the contents reveal eleven chapters each given a theme/feeling/place/time and also a colour (James Joyce’s Ulysses immediately sprang to mind).

The leading edges of the pages are brightly colour-coded and, when taking the book in your hands, one is immediately intrigued.

Chapter 5, for example, is amusingly titled Romance and Other Ailments and the colour is Rose. The beginning however drops the reader right back to 2020 and the pandemic with poems “spawned by my need as a writer and freelance journalist to rally our community to remain strong in the face of the threat to our health.”

There are themes which repeat across the pages. Dance and dancing, whether literal or metaphorical; self-deprecation about the ageing process; desperate fallen women struggling to survive; victims; forgiveness; social commentary and righting wrongs.

Joe’s poetry is redolent of the Llanito of a certain age, and I loved the depictions of family and everyday life snapshots into things we can all relate to; the poem Duke about a beloved dog really tugs at the heartstrings. Howzat Jock tells the tale of an alcoholic which is dripping in comedy and pathos, whereas Writer’s Wish gives a stark command to us scribes with its final stanza:
You’ll be surprised at how easy you can get off those starting blocks
And weave your magic again.
We need to write to improve our writing
It's a cycle so don’t stop pedalling up the hills or you will roll back.

With a sleeve note written by Brian Reyes and a foreword by poet Gabriel Moreno, this book has it all and I found myself turning the pages rapidly to see where I would be taken next.

Works appear in English, Spanish and Llanito with intricate detail and sweeping declarations.

I was taken aback when I heard Joe had turned 80, but it lends a credible explanation as to why his poetry covers a vast landscape of style and topic.

Read Harmony Within and get whisked away to wherever takes your fancy. I will leave you with the vivid opening lines from Bleeding.

You cut me like a cake and carelessly threw the crumbs all over the floor
You ate all the best slices and then trampled on my heart
As you were walking out the door