by Seán Lysaght
First published 2022
Seán Lysaght examines the boundaries of home and displacement in this poetry collection. He traces journeys from Irish landscapes like Bog Song, Brockagh, and Inishmaan to distant territories in Tuscany and Abu Dhabi. The poet captures natural moments with precision, observing how a willow warbler moves down summer's ladder with its song. He contrasts the signatures of thrift in pre-oil Emirates with mall music designed to calm distracted souls. Through shifting modes of expression, Lysaght questions his relationship with adopted places while recording both literal travel and evolving patterns of friendship and affection. His voice moves between intimate observation and broader cultural reflection, transforming personal experience into something approaching allegory. The collection balances lightness of touch with careful self-examination, creating verses where the natural world speaks clearly against backgrounds of cultural change and geographic transition.
Genres: nature, travel, contemporary, poetry
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-experience-to-allegory
Setting: Ireland, Tuscany, Abu Dhabi
Period: Contemporary
68 pages · Paperback · The Gallery Press