Floods (Faber Poetry) Book

Maurice Riordan's second volume of poetry Floods, short-listed for the Whitbread, has proven even more successful than his first collection, A Word from the Loki, which attained high praise and significant attention. And for good reason; this is lucid, clever, unsentimental, discreetly lyrical poetry. Riordan's themes are the themes of any poet: love, loss, death, memory, childhood, love again. However, in his capable hands these hardy perennials become greenhouse blooms, without ever losing their earthy, grounded quality. Some, like the funny/touching "Caroline Songs" ("When you wear the Russian felt, I think I see the touch of guilt") are erotic going on explicit; others, like "Caisson" ("at your undressing, I would be, plunged in a Runic chemistry") are erotic going on scientific. Still others--some of the most successful--hearken back to Riordan's Irish upbringing, and a much-loved if given-to-frankness mother, like these lines from Southpaw: "before we either bite or kiss, to overhear--Is it Mammy's voice from beyond the grave?--That one, she could do with a scrub son". Some of the poems in this slender-ish book are less consummate. The longer verses suffer an occasional sag; the shortest lack a certain punchiness. These worries aside, however, this is a very pleasing collection. --Sean ThomasRead More