In this new collection of 52 poems, we see a master at the height of his powers, one who has allowed the “wildness” of existence to drive out arrogance. He is our witness on the “yearning shore,” reminding us that even when the world feels shrouded in “desperate folly,” we are not lost. He teaches us a way of communion that requires no chanting or spells—only “one simple yes” to the wonders that persist despite the darkness.
Don Hynes is more than a poet of our generation; he is a keeper of the “hidden stone,” the birthplace of beauty. He reminds us that even as the cultural landscape seems to “descend,” we have the “stars in flight” to guide us. He proves, through every carefully chosen word, that we are “children of the eternal,” and that even in the deepest frost of the soul, we are good.
Returned to the island, cold air and quiet tide relieve the dark night and morning’s weight. My eyes thrive on the sight of water, soul on the quiet broken only by gulls. The inner life of this lonely animal, resting in the comfort of the deep earth, welcomed back to
Returning to the streets and sidewalks, I hunker down within the noise, exhaling morning prayers. My thankful breath a healing mist for the fever of these times. Reading of
October sun, bright on the water, turning to autumn. The distant mountains bare of snow, the sea windless and calm. Slowly, I turn as well, slipping into the dark well of being, ready to find myself once more in the cold dread of black dirt and root.
