Bone Rosary

Poet, essayist and funeral director Thomas Lynch has published five critically acclaimed collections of poetry, four books of essays and a book of short fiction. His most recent books are The Depositions: New and Selected Essays (W.W. Norton, 2019), and Bone Rosary: New & Selected Poems (Godine, USA, 2021; Bloodaxe Books, UK, 2022). A novel is forthcoming. His first four collections, Skating with Heather Grace (1987), Grimalkin & Other Poems (1994), Still Life in Milford (1998) and Walking Papers (2011), were published by Jonathan Cape in the UK, and his fifth collection, The Sin-Eater: A Breviary (2012), by Salmon Press Poetry in Ireland. Thomas Lynch has written for The Times, The Irish Times, New York Times, Newsweek, and Harper’s. His memoir The Undertaking: Life Studies from the Dismal Trade (1997) won the Heartland Prize for Non-Fiction, the American Book Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Award. He has taught at Wayne State University Department of Mortuary Science, University of Michigan Graduate Program in Writing and Emory University Candler School of Theology. His work has been the subject of two documentary films, PBS Frontline’s The Undertaking and Cathal Black’s Learning Gravity. He worked as a funeral director with the family firm Lynch & Sons in Milford, Michigan from 1973 until his recent retirement, and now divides his time between his home on Mullett Lake in Northern Michigan and his ancestral home in Moveen, Co. Clare, Ireland.

• Cloud of Witnesses: An Introduction • 19from SKATING WITH HEATHER GRACEMichael’s Reply to the White Man • 33A Death • 35Venice • 36The Blood We Paid For • 37A Family of Fishermen • 39Tatyana • 40Like My Father Waking Early • 41Marriage • 43Lessons from Berkeley • 44O Canada • 45The Widow • 46A Dream of Death in the First Person • 47Skating with Heather Grace • 48Learning Gravity • 50A Clearing in the Woods • 57A Note on the Rapture to His True Love • 58Pornography • 59The Liturgist • 60I Felt Myself Turning • 61A Good Death Even When It Kills You • 62To Her Sisters on the Nature of the Universe • 63Where It Came From • 64Noon on Saturday • 65Wormwood • 67Pruning • 68The Grandmothers • 69For the Ex-Wife on the Occasion of Her Birthday • 70from GRIMALKIN & OTHER POEMSAttende Domine • 75Aisling • 76At the Opening of Oak Grove Cemetery Bridge • 78Green Bananas • 81Adoro Te Devote • 82Grimalkin • 83Casablanca • 85In Paradisum • 86Inviolata • 87Liberty • 88No Prisoners • 89O Gloriosa Virginum • 92Rhododendrons • 93That Scream If You Ever Hear It • 94The Nines • 96The Lives of Women • 97Tommy • 98West Highland • 99from STILL LIFE IN MILFORDArt History, Chicago • 103Kisses • 105Bishop’s Island • 106Rentals Ledger • 107An Evening Walk to the Sea by Friesians • 108Heavenward • 110Couplets • 111The Moveen Notebook • 112The Old Operating Theatre, London, All Souls, Night • 124She Instructs the Brethren on the Laws of Love • 125Still Life in Milford—Oil on Canvas by Lester Johnson • 126from WALKING PAPERSEuclid • 131Montbretia • 133Fr. Andrews • 135To Be Among These Elegant Voices • 136Corpses Do Not Fret Their Coffin Boards • 139Oh Say Grim Death • 140The Life of Fiction • 142After Your Going • 143Thirteen for Sean at Thirty • 144Dear Mr. President • 145Local Heroes • 147Dear Mr. Vice President • 149Himself • 152Dear Madam Secretary • 153On a Bar of Chinese Soap • 155Dear Messrs. Attorneys General • 156Walking Papers • 158Calling • 162Refusing at Fifty-Two to Write Sonnets • 165from THE SIN-EATER: A BREVIARYThe Sin-Eater • 168Argyle in Agony • 169Argyle’s Vapors • 170Argyle’s Balance • 171Argyle’s Ejaculations • 172Argyle’s Retreat • 173Argyle’s Dream of the Church Dove • 174Argyle in Carrigaholt • 175Argyle’s Return to the Holy Island • 176Argyle’s Stone • 177Argyle at Loop Head • 178Argyle’s Eucharist • 179A Corporal Work of Mercy • 180Argyle Considers the Elements • 181Argyle Among the Moveen Lads • 182His Ambulations • 183His Repasts • 184He Considers Not the Lilies but Their Excellencies • 185He Weeps Among the Clare Antiquities • 186Argyle at the Ennis Friary • 187He Posits Certain Mysteries • 188His Purgations • 189Argyle on Knocknagaroon • 190Recompense His Paraclete • 191CLOUD OF WITNESSES: NEW POEMSA Laving Song • 194Libra • 195Accordion • 196You Who Never Came In • 198Nativity • 199Yossef • 200Some Octaves on Holy Orders • 201When She Knew • 204Recompense • 205How Howard Armstrong Learned the Verities • 206The Desert Years • 207At Moyarta • 208Twelve Days of Christmas • 209What Shall We Say? • 210Receipt • 213St. Kevin and the Temptress • 214Personal • 215Her Mother’s Irises • 216San Cassiano • 217Par Rum Pum Pum Pum • 218Waterfowl at Summer’s End • 220Moveen Solstice • 221Flotilla • 222Genesis 3 • 223Franchise 2016 • 224Corrine Among the Fronds of Basil • 226Gratis • 227Double Sonnet for the Florist’s Son • 228Interment • 229Old Dogs • 230Theodicy: A Lament • 231The Prince Conti • 233Another Miracle • 234In the Gents Loo of the Stella Maris • 235To His Grandchildren as Dark Draws Hither • 236Priestess • 238Digitas Paternae Dextrae • 239Morning Among Piebalds • 240Buskers • 241Meadowhawk • 242The Sick of the Palsy Healed and His Sins Forgiven • 243Benediction • 244Little Elegy • 245

Bone Rosary brings the extraordinary work of a lifetime together with new, important, timely poems. This is art that helps us to understand the world as it challenges us to stay alive and in it. Sorrow balanced so evenly with humor – actual hilarity, in fact – is rare, and a reminder of the purpose of poetry itself. How lucky we are to have this collection, which is a celebration of Thomas Lynch, his accomplishments, and his great talent. It’s a gift – a palpable reminder of the sacred and immortal power of poetry.