Reckonings

Green, Patrick Moran''s second collection of poetry, shows a poet trying to reconcile his rural heritage with an Ireland in the process of transition. In doing so, these carefully wraught poems explore the implications of leaving: the parting from loved ones; what is left to us; and the scraps we are left with. The title poem, Green, with its elegiac blend of wonder and loss, strikes a characteristic note. As he comes to terms with changing landscapes and thwarted dreams, the poet concludes: "It''s all in the harvesting". Yet, even in the face of transcience, Moran is ultimately positive. In Autumn, for example, he can still hear birds chirping in his "inner hedges". And, as another spring dawns, he prays for the grace to "go with the flow".

Patrick Moran''s first collection was widely praised. Southword noted the poet''s "fine eye for the banal, for seemingly subtle shifts that can have huge implications"; while Poetry Ireland Review lauded "a very well-crafted body of work, poetry that is always lyrical and on occasion truly startling".