Legacy: The Poetry of David Burns

"Legacy: the poetry of David Burns" is a collection of poems published to celebrate the life and creativity of David Burns (1931-2020), a Liverpool-born industrial chemist, mathematician, computer pioneer, and prolific late-life poet. Written during his retirement, his poems recount personal memories, family histories and social observations, and are presented with warmth and an unmistakable Liverpudlian wit. The book is presented in three sections, 'Life and Love', 'Musings' and 'The Last Laugh'. Together they reveal Burns's emotional strain following the death of his wife Lucy, with deeply affectionate poems of marriage, bereavement and graceful ageing, alongside reflections on his childhood, wartime schooling, travel, work, science, faith and politics. Among the collection are poems that recall people and places from Merseyside life, while others gently mock modern British culture and habits. The poems range from short lyrical pieces, to reflective narrative and satirical monologues.