Brendan Kennelly (1936-2021) was one of Ireland’s most distinguished and best loved poets, as well as a renowned teacher and cultural commentator. Born in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, he was Professor of Modern Literature at Trinity College, Dublin for over 30 years, and retired from teaching in 2005. He published over 30 books of poetry, including Familiar Strangers: New & Selected Poems 1960-2004 (2004), which includes the whole of his book-length poem The Man Made of Rain (1998). He was best-known for two controversial poetry books, Cromwell, published in Ireland in 1983 and in Britain by Bloodaxe in 1987, and his epic poem The Book of Judas (1991), which topped the Irish bestsellers list: a shorter version was published by Bloodaxe in 2002 as The Little Book of Judas. His third epic, Poetry My Arse (1995), did much to outdo these in notoriety. All these remain available separately from Bloodaxe, along with his more recent titles: Glimpses (2001), Martial Art (2003), Now (2006), Reservoir Voices (2009), The Essential Brendan Kennelly: Selected Poems, edited by Terence Brown and Michael Longley, with audio CD (2011), and Guff (2013). His drama titles include When Then Is Now (2006), a trilogy of his modern versions of three Greek tragedies (all previously published by Bloodaxe): Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea and The Trojan Women. His Antigone and The Trojan Women were both first performed at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin, in 1986 and 1993 respectively; Medea premièred in the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1988, toured in England in 1989 and was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. His other plays include Lorca’s Blood Wedding (Northern Stage, Newcastle & Bloodaxe, 1996). His translations of Irish poetry are available in Love of Ireland: Poems from the Irish (Mercier Press, 1989). He has edited several anthologies, including The Penguin Book of Irish Verse (1970/1981), Ireland’s Women: Writings Past and Present, with Katie Donovan and A. Norman Jeffares (Gill & Macmillan, 1994), and Dublines, with Katie Donovan (Bloodaxe Books, 1995), and published two early novels, The Crooked Cross (1963) and The Florentines (1967). His Journey into Joy: Selected Prose, edited by Åke Persson, was published by Bloodaxe in 1994, along with Dark Fathers into Light, a critical anthology on his work edited by Richard Pine. John McDonagh’s critical study Brendan Kennelly: A Host of Ghosts was published in The Liffey Press’s Contemporary Irish Writers series in 2004. His anthology The Heavy Bear Who Goes with Me – co-edited with Neil Astley – was published by Bloodaxe in 2022.

• 1 LIFTING THE MOON23A Giving24Yes25The year25The True Thing26Measures27Let It Go28Conference31A Host of Ghosts31Whatever32A Language32Someone, Somewhere33Proof33Leaving34The Prodigal Son2 QUESTIONING ANSWERS37To Learn37The Stick38ozzie38prades39flushed39skool40Small Black Stars40Catechism41My Mind of Questions44After School44A Return45The Brightest of All46The Smell47Thorn48Horsechestnuts48Lost49The Horse’s Head51The Hill of Fire52The Fall52The Stones54Nails54Innocent55The Visitor57Tasty57The Big Words59Poem from a Three Year Old60Nineteen forty-two60Children’s Hospital61The Learning of Pity61Girl on a Tightrope64Rebuke64Play65The Kiss66A Leather Apron66Ten Bob67The Stammer69The Learning70John Keane’s Field71God’s Eye3 BODIES OF SPIRITS75Ella Cantillon75Litter76A Mad Woman76Union77A Kerry Christmas77A Cry for Art O’Leary83I Met a Woman83Acteon84The Hope of Wings85Girl in a Rope85At the Party86A Great Day87Moloney Discovers the Winter90The Dose91Fragments91Steps92It Was Indeed Love92Santorini93The Exhibition94Love Cry95Lightness95Love-child96Sister96Miss Anne97Smell97Eyes98A Girl108Eily Kilbride108Rebecca Hill109Feed the Children109Citizens of the Night110Baby111A Drowned Girl112Clean112The Gift Returned114There Are Women (after Mandelstam)114We Are Living115Muses116May the Silence Break117A Kind of Trust118A Passionate and Gentle Voice119Separation120Willow122Too Near123A Viable Odyssey124bridge124To You125Tonight You Cry127The Furies127Warning128The Moment of Letlive129Beyond Knowledge131Mary Magdalene (after Pasternak)133She133Wish134Knives134Assassin135Phone Call136Her Spirit136Keep in Touch137Birth138The Burning of Her Hair140A Holy War140Sacrifice141The Fire Is Crying142A Half-finished Garden142Her Face143The Hag of Beare145She Sees Her Own Distance145A Restoration146More Dust146Wings146The Habit of Redemption148Gestures148Westland Row149The Celtic Twilight149The Girl Next Door150Maggie Hannifin’s way for women150Irish proverb150Woman in a Doorway151Padraig Ó Conaire’s Daughter Visits Galway on Her Honeymoon151The Scarf152Speculations152Portrait153Nora O’Donnell153The Work Was Coming Out Right154Last Kicks155Her Laugh155The Good156Thérèse157Saint Brigid’s Prayer157To Marina Tsvetaeva (after Mandelstam)158Is It Possible I Shall See You?(after Mandelstam)5 THE MAN MADE OF RAIN159The Man Made of Rain6 GUFF AND MUSCLE228No Image Fits229The Third Force230Correspondence230Consequences231A Teeny Bit231Saint Augustine on God233The Sin236Adam236I Saw a Beautiful Man237Saint Augustine’s Toe237A Man of Faith238Who Killed the Man239Baile Bocht240Shy240Needles242The Grip242Cock242The Pig-killer243The Pig246Time for the Knife247The Tippler247Work248Man Making Fire249The King249The Thatcher250The Swimmer251A Man Undeceived251The Runner252All the time in the world253That Look253A Man in Smoke Remembered254A Man, But Rarely Mentioned255Night Drive257Oliver to His Brother257I Wonder Now What Distance258Always259The Love of God261Missing261A Glimpse of Starlings262Blood263A Winter Rose264The Names of the Dead Are Lightning264I See You Dancing, Father265Oliver to His Son266Where Women Pray and Judge266Oliver to His Daughter266Blood270James Joyce’s Death-mask271The Dinner273The Blind Man274I See275Moloney Sees Through a Blind Eye277Kind Eyes278An OK Guy278According to The Moderate Intelligencer279The House I Built279Courage281The Loud Men282Time for Breaking283 The Second Tree284A Black and Tan286The Grudge288What Use?288Old Soldier289Service289Ask the Children290Tail-end Charlie291The Story292The cries repeat themselves292Roger Boyle294But it did (a drama)294A Bottle295Columkille the Writer295What Else?296Sebastian296Light Dying298Oliver to a Friend298A Man I Knew299Raglan Lane300A Real Presence301Late Yeats302Penny303Not a word303Death of a Strong Man303A Tale for Tourists305Mastery306The Wake308Between Sky and Stone308A Peering Boy309If You Were Bold Enough309To Rembrandt (after Mandelstam)310Milk313Prodigal (after Mandelstam)313Treasure314The Hurt315Immediate Man316Six of One319A Short Story319Heigh Ho320The Ovens321 The Kill321John Bradburne322Failure323Islandman344He Left Us344The Bell345Fool346Killing the Winter346Spring347Heat347Loss348Design6 SAVAGE CIVILITIES351Moments When the Light352Pram352The Hole354Our Place355Johnny Gobless355The Fool’s Rod358A Parable of Pimlico358In Dublin359Crossing the bridge359Bewley’s coarse brown bread (unsliced)361Hunchback362Eating a star362Ambulance363A Visit364Dream of a Black Fox365The Black Fox, Again366Clearing a Space368Herself and himself369Lost place370Good Souls, to Survive7 HISTORY373The Lislaughtin Cross374Lislaughtin Abbey375A Friend of the People376My Dark Fathers377The Limerick Train380A Small Light388Shelley in Dublin394The Saddest News395The Big House396Wall397Beatings398The Curse398Local History399Three Tides399Freedom Fighter400My Indifference400The Prisoner402Traffic Lights, Merrion Road, Dublin 4405Killybegs407A Running Battle408De Valéra at Ninety-two410Oliver Speaks to His Countrymen414Points of View414Calling the Shots415The House That Jack Didn’t Build417Statement of the Former Occupant419The Joke422The Ship of Flame8 VOICES425Connection425Shell426Sea427The Island428The Sandwoman429Bread430Lightning431Book432House432Crow433The Singing Tree434The Tree’s Voice434The Cherry Trees437The Speech of Trees437Latin439Word440Loneliness442Tide442Bullet442Peace443Skin445Scar445Bomb447Freckle448Time449Worm450Money450Rumour452Silence453Raindrop453Key455Heart456Poetry457Game9 THAT MUSIC MAY SURVIVE461The Gift461Blackbird462God’s Laughter463Living Ghosts463The Singers465Published at Last!466The Singing Girl Is Easy in Her Skill467Sing and Be Damned to It467The Wren-boy468Sounds469The Voice-of-Us-All469Star470The Whiteness471Entering472I can’t find you anywhere473Mud474Prayer to Venus (after Lucretius)475A Soft Amen476At home476The Adventure of Learning477There Will Be Dreams477Like the Swallow478Begin481Index of titles & first lines

'Newspapers celebrate greatness, heroism, achievement and genius in our midst, but sometimes don't pay sufficient attention to the real heroes who matter to us; the people who make a serious contribution to a nation's mental and spiritual well-being. A giant in this area is Brendan Kennelly. He is the people's poet. He spends his life wondering and thinking and daring to think and see differently. He also asks impossible questions and suggests unthinkable answers about the things that really matter. And he refuses to be precious or out of touch with the rest of us' - Jim Farrelly, Editor-in-Chief, Sunday Tribune; 'With considerable honesty and bravery Kennelly enters and becomes others in order to perceive, understand and suffer... always moving, probing and doubting, never willing or able to settle on any one certainty... There is clash and conflict, cruelty and irony, sardonic wit, passion' - Aidan Murphy; 'He lets us watch as he stands bowlegged at a crossroads in time and culture, playing stretch with knives of fear and faith, irony and soul, the fist of vision, the hard-nose of reality' - Bono; 'Kennelly's capacity to strip himself and fight in naked combat with the giants that plague us, make him Ireland's most endearing and reckless poet' - Mark Patrick Hederman; 'A very singular voice which owes nothing really to anybody, except to Kennelly's spiritual and geographical origins and, of course, to his own people' - John B. Keane; 'His poems shine with the wisdom of somebody who has thought deeply about the paradoxical strangeness and familiarity and wonder of life' - Sister Stanislaus Kennedy

Brendan Kennelly (1936-2021) was one of Ireland’s most distinguished and best loved poets, as well as a renowned teacher and cultural commentator. Born in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, he was Professor of Modern Literature at Trinity College, Dublin for over 30 years, and retired from teaching in 2005. He published over 30 books of poetry, including Familiar Strangers: New & Selected Poems 1960-2004 (2004), which includes the whole of his book-length poem The Man Made of Rain (1998). He was best-known for two controversial poetry books, Cromwell, published in Ireland in 1983 and in Britain by Bloodaxe in 1987, and his epic poem The Book of Judas (1991), which topped the Irish bestsellers list: a shorter version was published by Bloodaxe in 2002 as The Little Book of Judas. His third epic, Poetry My Arse (1995), did much to outdo these in notoriety. All these remain available separately from Bloodaxe, along with his more recent titles: Glimpses (2001), Martial Art (2003), Now (2006), Reservoir Voices (2009), The Essential Brendan Kennelly: Selected Poems, edited by Terence Brown and Michael Longley, with audio CD (2011), and Guff (2013). His drama titles include When Then Is Now (2006), a trilogy of his modern versions of three Greek tragedies (all previously published by Bloodaxe): Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea and The Trojan Women. His Antigone and The Trojan Women were both first performed at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin, in 1986 and 1993 respectively; Medea premièred in the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1988, toured in England in 1989 and was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. His other plays include Lorca’s Blood Wedding (Northern Stage, Newcastle & Bloodaxe, 1996). His translations of Irish poetry are available in Love of Ireland: Poems from the Irish (Mercier Press, 1989). He has edited several anthologies, including The Penguin Book of Irish Verse (1970/1981), Ireland’s Women: Writings Past and Present, with Katie Donovan and A. Norman Jeffares (Gill & Macmillan, 1994), and Dublines, with Katie Donovan (Bloodaxe Books, 1995), and published two early novels, The Crooked Cross (1963) and The Florentines (1967). His Journey into Joy: Selected Prose, edited by Åke Persson, was published by Bloodaxe in 1994, along with Dark Fathers into Light, a critical anthology on his work edited by Richard Pine. John McDonagh’s critical study Brendan Kennelly: A Host of Ghosts was published in The Liffey Press’s Contemporary Irish Writers series in 2004. His anthology The Heavy Bear Who Goes with Me – co-edited with Neil Astley – was published by Bloodaxe in 2022.

• 1 LIFTING THE MOON23A Giving24Yes25The year25The True Thing26Measures27Let It Go28Conference31A Host of Ghosts31Whatever32A Language32Someone, Somewhere33Proof33Leaving34The Prodigal Son2 QUESTIONING ANSWERS37To Learn37The Stick38ozzie38prades39flushed39skool40Small Black Stars40Catechism41My Mind of Questions44After School44A Return45The Brightest of All46The Smell47Thorn48Horsechestnuts48Lost49The Horse’s Head51The Hill of Fire52The Fall52The Stones54Nails54Innocent55The Visitor57Tasty57The Big Words59Poem from a Three Year Old60Nineteen forty-two60Children’s Hospital61The Learning of Pity61Girl on a Tightrope64Rebuke64Play65The Kiss66A Leather Apron66Ten Bob67The Stammer69The Learning70John Keane’s Field71God’s Eye3 BODIES OF SPIRITS75Ella Cantillon75Litter76A Mad Woman76Union77A Kerry Christmas77A Cry for Art O’Leary83I Met a Woman83Acteon84The Hope of Wings85Girl in a Rope85At the Party86A Great Day87Moloney Discovers the Winter90The Dose91Fragments91Steps92It Was Indeed Love92Santorini93The Exhibition94Love Cry95Lightness95Love-child96Sister96Miss Anne97Smell97Eyes98A Girl108Eily Kilbride108Rebecca Hill109Feed the Children109Citizens of the Night110Baby111A Drowned Girl112Clean112The Gift Returned114There Are Women (after Mandelstam)114We Are Living115Muses116May the Silence Break117A Kind of Trust118A Passionate and Gentle Voice119Separation120Willow122Too Near123A Viable Odyssey124bridge124To You125Tonight You Cry127The Furies127Warning128The Moment of Letlive129Beyond Knowledge131Mary Magdalene (after Pasternak)133She133Wish134Knives134Assassin135Phone Call136Her Spirit136Keep in Touch137Birth138The Burning of Her Hair140A Holy War140Sacrifice141The Fire Is Crying142A Half-finished Garden142Her Face143The Hag of Beare145She Sees Her Own Distance145A Restoration146More Dust146Wings146The Habit of Redemption148Gestures148Westland Row149The Celtic Twilight149The Girl Next Door150Maggie Hannifin’s way for women150Irish proverb150Woman in a Doorway151Padraig Ó Conaire’s Daughter Visits Galway on Her Honeymoon151The Scarf152Speculations152Portrait153Nora O’Donnell153The Work Was Coming Out Right154Last Kicks155Her Laugh155The Good156Thérèse157Saint Brigid’s Prayer157To Marina Tsvetaeva (after Mandelstam)158Is It Possible I Shall See You?(after Mandelstam)5 THE MAN MADE OF RAIN159The Man Made of Rain6 GUFF AND MUSCLE228No Image Fits229The Third Force230Correspondence230Consequences231A Teeny Bit231Saint Augustine on God233The Sin236Adam236I Saw a Beautiful Man237Saint Augustine’s Toe237A Man of Faith238Who Killed the Man239Baile Bocht240Shy240Needles242The Grip242Cock242The Pig-killer243The Pig246Time for the Knife247The Tippler247Work248Man Making Fire249The King249The Thatcher250The Swimmer251A Man Undeceived251The Runner252All the time in the world253That Look253A Man in Smoke Remembered254A Man, But Rarely Mentioned255Night Drive257Oliver to His Brother257I Wonder Now What Distance258Always259The Love of God261Missing261A Glimpse of Starlings262Blood263A Winter Rose264The Names of the Dead Are Lightning264I See You Dancing, Father265Oliver to His Son266Where Women Pray and Judge266Oliver to His Daughter266Blood270James Joyce’s Death-mask271The Dinner273The Blind Man274I See275Moloney Sees Through a Blind Eye277Kind Eyes278An OK Guy278According to The Moderate Intelligencer279The House I Built279Courage281The Loud Men282Time for Breaking283 The Second Tree284A Black and Tan286The Grudge288What Use?288Old Soldier289Service289Ask the Children290Tail-end Charlie291The Story292The cries repeat themselves292Roger Boyle294But it did (a drama)294A Bottle295Columkille the Writer295What Else?296Sebastian296Light Dying298Oliver to a Friend298A Man I Knew299Raglan Lane300A Real Presence301Late Yeats302Penny303Not a word303Death of a Strong Man303A Tale for Tourists305Mastery306The Wake308Between Sky and Stone308A Peering Boy309If You Were Bold Enough309To Rembrandt (after Mandelstam)310Milk313Prodigal (after Mandelstam)313Treasure314The Hurt315Immediate Man316Six of One319A Short Story319Heigh Ho320The Ovens321 The Kill321John Bradburne322Failure323Islandman344He Left Us344The Bell345Fool346Killing the Winter346Spring347Heat347Loss348Design6 SAVAGE CIVILITIES351Moments When the Light352Pram352The Hole354Our Place355Johnny Gobless355The Fool’s Rod358A Parable of Pimlico358In Dublin359Crossing the bridge359Bewley’s coarse brown bread (unsliced)361Hunchback362Eating a star362Ambulance363A Visit364Dream of a Black Fox365The Black Fox, Again366Clearing a Space368Herself and himself369Lost place370Good Souls, to Survive7 HISTORY373The Lislaughtin Cross374Lislaughtin Abbey375A Friend of the People376My Dark Fathers377The Limerick Train380A Small Light388Shelley in Dublin394The Saddest News395The Big House396Wall397Beatings398The Curse398Local History399Three Tides399Freedom Fighter400My Indifference400The Prisoner402Traffic Lights, Merrion Road, Dublin 4405Killybegs407A Running Battle408De Valéra at Ninety-two410Oliver Speaks to His Countrymen414Points of View414Calling the Shots415The House That Jack Didn’t Build417Statement of the Former Occupant419The Joke422The Ship of Flame8 VOICES425Connection425Shell426Sea427The Island428The Sandwoman429Bread430Lightning431Book432House432Crow433The Singing Tree434The Tree’s Voice434The Cherry Trees437The Speech of Trees437Latin439Word440Loneliness442Tide442Bullet442Peace443Skin445Scar445Bomb447Freckle448Time449Worm450Money450Rumour452Silence453Raindrop453Key455Heart456Poetry457Game9 THAT MUSIC MAY SURVIVE461The Gift461Blackbird462God’s Laughter463Living Ghosts463The Singers465Published at Last!466The Singing Girl Is Easy in Her Skill467Sing and Be Damned to It467The Wren-boy468Sounds469The Voice-of-Us-All469Star470The Whiteness471Entering472I can’t find you anywhere473Mud474Prayer to Venus (after Lucretius)475A Soft Amen476At home476The Adventure of Learning477There Will Be Dreams477Like the Swallow478Begin481Index of titles & first lines

'Newspapers celebrate greatness, heroism, achievement and genius in our midst, but sometimes don't pay sufficient attention to the real heroes who matter to us; the people who make a serious contribution to a nation's mental and spiritual well-being. A giant in this area is Brendan Kennelly. He is the people's poet. He spends his life wondering and thinking and daring to think and see differently. He also asks impossible questions and suggests unthinkable answers about the things that really matter. And he refuses to be precious or out of touch with the rest of us' - Jim Farrelly, Editor-in-Chief, Sunday Tribune; 'With considerable honesty and bravery Kennelly enters and becomes others in order to perceive, understand and suffer... always moving, probing and doubting, never willing or able to settle on any one certainty... There is clash and conflict, cruelty and irony, sardonic wit, passion' - Aidan Murphy; 'He lets us watch as he stands bowlegged at a crossroads in time and culture, playing stretch with knives of fear and faith, irony and soul, the fist of vision, the hard-nose of reality' - Bono; 'Kennelly's capacity to strip himself and fight in naked combat with the giants that plague us, make him Ireland's most endearing and reckless poet' - Mark Patrick Hederman; 'A very singular voice which owes nothing really to anybody, except to Kennelly's spiritual and geographical origins and, of course, to his own people' - John B. Keane; 'His poems shine with the wisdom of somebody who has thought deeply about the paradoxical strangeness and familiarity and wonder of life' - Sister Stanislaus Kennedy

Brendan Kennelly (1936-2021) was one of Ireland’s most distinguished and best loved poets, as well as a renowned teacher and cultural commentator. Born in Ballylongford, Co. Kerry, he was Professor of Modern Literature at Trinity College, Dublin for over 30 years, and retired from teaching in 2005. He published over 30 books of poetry, including Familiar Strangers: New & Selected Poems 1960-2004 (2004), which includes the whole of his book-length poem The Man Made of Rain (1998). He was best-known for two controversial poetry books, Cromwell, published in Ireland in 1983 and in Britain by Bloodaxe in 1987, and his epic poem The Book of Judas (1991), which topped the Irish bestsellers list: a shorter version was published by Bloodaxe in 2002 as The Little Book of Judas. His third epic, Poetry My Arse (1995), did much to outdo these in notoriety. All these remain available separately from Bloodaxe, along with his more recent titles: Glimpses (2001), Martial Art (2003), Now (2006), Reservoir Voices (2009), The Essential Brendan Kennelly: Selected Poems, edited by Terence Brown and Michael Longley, with audio CD (2011), and Guff (2013). His drama titles include When Then Is Now (2006), a trilogy of his modern versions of three Greek tragedies (all previously published by Bloodaxe): Sophocles’ Antigone and Euripides’ Medea and The Trojan Women. His Antigone and The Trojan Women were both first performed at the Peacock Theatre, Dublin, in 1986 and 1993 respectively; Medea premièred in the Dublin Theatre Festival in 1988, toured in England in 1989 and was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. His other plays include Lorca’s Blood Wedding (Northern Stage, Newcastle & Bloodaxe, 1996). His translations of Irish poetry are available in Love of Ireland: Poems from the Irish (Mercier Press, 1989). He has edited several anthologies, including The Penguin Book of Irish Verse (1970/1981), Ireland’s Women: Writings Past and Present, with Katie Donovan and A. Norman Jeffares (Gill & Macmillan, 1994), and Dublines, with Katie Donovan (Bloodaxe Books, 1995), and published two early novels, The Crooked Cross (1963) and The Florentines (1967). His Journey into Joy: Selected Prose, edited by Åke Persson, was published by Bloodaxe in 1994, along with Dark Fathers into Light, a critical anthology on his work edited by Richard Pine. John McDonagh’s critical study Brendan Kennelly: A Host of Ghosts was published in The Liffey Press’s Contemporary Irish Writers series in 2004. His anthology The Heavy Bear Who Goes with Me – co-edited with Neil Astley – was published by Bloodaxe in 2022.

• 1 LIFTING THE MOON23A Giving24Yes25The year25The True Thing26Measures27Let It Go28Conference31A Host of Ghosts31Whatever32A Language32Someone, Somewhere33Proof33Leaving34The Prodigal Son2 QUESTIONING ANSWERS37To Learn37The Stick38ozzie38prades39flushed39skool40Small Black Stars40Catechism41My Mind of Questions44After School44A Return45The Brightest of All46The Smell47Thorn48Horsechestnuts48Lost49The Horse’s Head51The Hill of Fire52The Fall52The Stones54Nails54Innocent55The Visitor57Tasty57The Big Words59Poem from a Three Year Old60Nineteen forty-two60Children’s Hospital61The Learning of Pity61Girl on a Tightrope64Rebuke64Play65The Kiss66A Leather Apron66Ten Bob67The Stammer69The Learning70John Keane’s Field71God’s Eye3 BODIES OF SPIRITS75Ella Cantillon75Litter76A Mad Woman76Union77A Kerry Christmas77A Cry for Art O’Leary83I Met a Woman83Acteon84The Hope of Wings85Girl in a Rope85At the Party86A Great Day87Moloney Discovers the Winter90The Dose91Fragments91Steps92It Was Indeed Love92Santorini93The Exhibition94Love Cry95Lightness95Love-child96Sister96Miss Anne97Smell97Eyes98A Girl108Eily Kilbride108Rebecca Hill109Feed the Children109Citizens of the Night110Baby111A Drowned Girl112Clean112The Gift Returned114There Are Women (after Mandelstam)114We Are Living115Muses116May the Silence Break117A Kind of Trust118A Passionate and Gentle Voice119Separation120Willow122Too Near123A Viable Odyssey124bridge124To You125Tonight You Cry127The Furies127Warning128The Moment of Letlive129Beyond Knowledge131Mary Magdalene (after Pasternak)133She133Wish134Knives134Assassin135Phone Call136Her Spirit136Keep in Touch137Birth138The Burning of Her Hair140A Holy War140Sacrifice141The Fire Is Crying142A Half-finished Garden142Her Face143The Hag of Beare145She Sees Her Own Distance145A Restoration146More Dust146Wings146The Habit of Redemption148Gestures148Westland Row149The Celtic Twilight149The Girl Next Door150Maggie Hannifin’s way for women150Irish proverb150Woman in a Doorway151Padraig Ó Conaire’s Daughter Visits Galway on Her Honeymoon151The Scarf152Speculations152Portrait153Nora O’Donnell153The Work Was Coming Out Right154Last Kicks155Her Laugh155The Good156Thérèse157Saint Brigid’s Prayer157To Marina Tsvetaeva (after Mandelstam)158Is It Possible I Shall See You?(after Mandelstam)5 THE MAN MADE OF RAIN159The Man Made of Rain6 GUFF AND MUSCLE228No Image Fits229The Third Force230Correspondence230Consequences231A Teeny Bit231Saint Augustine on God233The Sin236Adam236I Saw a Beautiful Man237Saint Augustine’s Toe237A Man of Faith238Who Killed the Man239Baile Bocht240Shy240Needles242The Grip242Cock242The Pig-killer243The Pig246Time for the Knife247The Tippler247Work248Man Making Fire249The King249The Thatcher250The Swimmer251A Man Undeceived251The Runner252All the time in the world253That Look253A Man in Smoke Remembered254A Man, But Rarely Mentioned255Night Drive257Oliver to His Brother257I Wonder Now What Distance258Always259The Love of God261Missing261A Glimpse of Starlings262Blood263A Winter Rose264The Names of the Dead Are Lightning264I See You Dancing, Father265Oliver to His Son266Where Women Pray and Judge266Oliver to His Daughter266Blood270James Joyce’s Death-mask271The Dinner273The Blind Man274I See275Moloney Sees Through a Blind Eye277Kind Eyes278An OK Guy278According to The Moderate Intelligencer279The House I Built279Courage281The Loud Men282Time for Breaking283 The Second Tree284A Black and Tan286The Grudge288What Use?288Old Soldier289Service289Ask the Children290Tail-end Charlie291The Story292The cries repeat themselves292Roger Boyle294But it did (a drama)294A Bottle295Columkille the Writer295What Else?296Sebastian296Light Dying298Oliver to a Friend298A Man I Knew299Raglan Lane300A Real Presence301Late Yeats302Penny303Not a word303Death of a Strong Man303A Tale for Tourists305Mastery306The Wake308Between Sky and Stone308A Peering Boy309If You Were Bold Enough309To Rembrandt (after Mandelstam)310Milk313Prodigal (after Mandelstam)313Treasure314The Hurt315Immediate Man316Six of One319A Short Story319Heigh Ho320The Ovens321 The Kill321John Bradburne322Failure323Islandman344He Left Us344The Bell345Fool346Killing the Winter346Spring347Heat347Loss348Design6 SAVAGE CIVILITIES351Moments When the Light352Pram352The Hole354Our Place355Johnny Gobless355The Fool’s Rod358A Parable of Pimlico358In Dublin359Crossing the bridge359Bewley’s coarse brown bread (unsliced)361Hunchback362Eating a star362Ambulance363A Visit364Dream of a Black Fox365The Black Fox, Again366Clearing a Space368Herself and himself369Lost place370Good Souls, to Survive7 HISTORY373The Lislaughtin Cross374Lislaughtin Abbey375A Friend of the People376My Dark Fathers377The Limerick Train380A Small Light388Shelley in Dublin394The Saddest News395The Big House396Wall397Beatings398The Curse398Local History399Three Tides399Freedom Fighter400My Indifference400The Prisoner402Traffic Lights, Merrion Road, Dublin 4405Killybegs407A Running Battle408De Valéra at Ninety-two410Oliver Speaks to His Countrymen414Points of View414Calling the Shots415The House That Jack Didn’t Build417Statement of the Former Occupant419The Joke422The Ship of Flame8 VOICES425Connection425Shell426Sea427The Island428The Sandwoman429Bread430Lightning431Book432House432Crow433The Singing Tree434The Tree’s Voice434The Cherry Trees437The Speech of Trees437Latin439Word440Loneliness442Tide442Bullet442Peace443Skin445Scar445Bomb447Freckle448Time449Worm450Money450Rumour452Silence453Raindrop453Key455Heart456Poetry457Game9 THAT MUSIC MAY SURVIVE461The Gift461Blackbird462God’s Laughter463Living Ghosts463The Singers465Published at Last!466The Singing Girl Is Easy in Her Skill467Sing and Be Damned to It467The Wren-boy468Sounds469The Voice-of-Us-All469Star470The Whiteness471Entering472I can’t find you anywhere473Mud474Prayer to Venus (after Lucretius)475A Soft Amen476At home476The Adventure of Learning477There Will Be Dreams477Like the Swallow478Begin481Index of titles & first lines

'Newspapers celebrate greatness, heroism, achievement and genius in our midst, but sometimes don't pay sufficient attention to the real heroes who matter to us; the people who make a serious contribution to a nation's mental and spiritual well-being. A giant in this area is Brendan Kennelly. He is the people's poet. He spends his life wondering and thinking and daring to think and see differently. He also asks impossible questions and suggests unthinkable answers about the things that really matter. And he refuses to be precious or out of touch with the rest of us' - Jim Farrelly, Editor-in-Chief, Sunday Tribune; 'With considerable honesty and bravery Kennelly enters and becomes others in order to perceive, understand and suffer... always moving, probing and doubting, never willing or able to settle on any one certainty... There is clash and conflict, cruelty and irony, sardonic wit, passion' - Aidan Murphy; 'He lets us watch as he stands bowlegged at a crossroads in time and culture, playing stretch with knives of fear and faith, irony and soul, the fist of vision, the hard-nose of reality' - Bono; 'Kennelly's capacity to strip himself and fight in naked combat with the giants that plague us, make him Ireland's most endearing and reckless poet' - Mark Patrick Hederman; 'A very singular voice which owes nothing really to anybody, except to Kennelly's spiritual and geographical origins and, of course, to his own people' - John B. Keane; 'His poems shine with the wisdom of somebody who has thought deeply about the paradoxical strangeness and familiarity and wonder of life' - Sister Stanislaus Kennedy