Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Poetry Canadian

The Joy that Cracked the Mountain

by (author) Patrick O'Connell

Publisher
J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing
Initial publish date
Sep 1999
Category
Canadian
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781896239521
    Publish Date
    Sep 1999
    List Price
    $12.95

Add it to your shelf

Where to buy it

Description

Patrick O’Connell offers an astonishing meditation on desire and gratitude in three lyrical, imagistic suites of poems. The Joy that Cracked the Mountain takes a close look at the material world, reminding us that "it’s always the same question/the simple art of being here." The people in these poems endure heartbreak, nightmares, lightning strikes, and hallucinations. Yet all the while, the beauty of their "being there" flares as brightly as the candle flames that illuminate their small, impermanent lives. Zen-like in form, simple and profound, humorous at times, and always crystal clear. The joy he speaks of is hard-won, and the book’s courageous spiritual celebration takes place in full recognition of the "ten thousand sorrows" of human existence.

About the author

Patrick O’Connell is the author of two previous collections of poetry, Hoping for Angels and Falling in Place. He is a recipient of the John Hirsch Award.

Patrick O'Connell's profile page

Other titles by