Landing Light

His best poems are the best poems being written by any British poets, I suspect -- a couple of wonderful sonnets near the beginning of this book -- but as with nearly all collections by contemporary poets, there's a fair portion of lesser-quality stuff padding out the whole...

Difficult to read.
I really enjoyed "The Rat" though, (http://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poetry/poems/rat) which is amusing considering its theme. Like the poet within that poem I don't understand the craft enough to enjoy the rest of the collection.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/travel/poetry-made-me-do-it-my-trip-to-the-...

“One morning/you hover on the threshold, knowing for certain/the first touch of the light will finish you.”

From "The Forest of the Suicides":
There it roots, and drives up through the clay // to grow into the shape of its own anguish. (p. 15)

From "A Talking Book":
...First, to those rare birds
for whom all journeyings are heavenwards,
who always wing it, mapless and alone... (p. 28)

By all means, turn the page or close the book.
But first, imagine how this world would look
were it not duly filtered, cropped and strained
through that pinhole camera you call a brain
by whose inverted dim imaginings
you presume to question it. So many things
are hidden from you. show more (32)

It is always
dusk at the crossing, whatever your watch says. (32)

...the chains of now, the tyranny of here...(33)

The present is a trick played in your head. (33)

From "The Last Waltz":
...What work is so defeated
by itself, as all our scribbling in the air? (39)

From "My Love":
It's not the lover that we love, but love
itself, love as in nothing...
...we often think
love's something we share; but we're always wrong. (45) show less