A Bell in the White Morning

A Bell in the White Morning

She rises with the sun and dances in the shadows, her breath is the wind through the trees, a spirit shimmering in the silver of the water, love falling with the rain, he held her hand as the soft sunset and the night covered her with a blanket of stars. Excerpt from the poem “A blanket of stars” by Kevin McManus Kevin McManus has a poet's eye for detail, whether he is taking the reader on a tour of a deserted house, or bringing the natural world around him to life, or delving into Irish mythology and legend. He writes with an easy fluency and the confidence that comes from a lifetime of reading and writing. -Gerry Boland, author of “In the space between” Kevin McManus’s poems offer breathless moments of transformation and peace which are so crystalline that they are whole onto themselves. He takes us on a journey into a mythic dimension infusing the quotidian with a beauty and transience wherein “we are only troubadours and performers / in this play of shadow and light.” -Scott Ferry, author of “The Long Blade of Days Ahead” "The past is very present throughout. The ashes of nature and nostalgia shimmer throughout, our shared history evoked just as vividly as warm June memories. Always, the light shines through the dark." -Philomena Murphy, Arts show presenter on Athlone Community Radio "This is a fascinating and poignant book of poetry, written by a very gifted and prolific Irish writer. This book, steeped in the ancient Irish bardic storytelling tradition, explores the beauty of nature, the seasons, loss, love, joy, hope and Celtic spirituality. You are in for a very good read!" -Justin Wiggins Author of “ Tír na nÓg & Celtic Twilight” “Imbued with the wild beauty of rural western Ireland, A bell in the white morning gathers together poems of gentle quietude - songs of hope and sorrow, leavings and comings home, legend, loss and hope. All are crafted under the poet's keen eye for the natural world and a sensitivity to the inner lives of the people dwelling in it.” -Maria Hoey , author of “The last lost girl”