Essential Poems

Micheal O'Siadhail was born in Dublin in 1947. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin and the University of Oslo. A full-time writer, he has published eighteen collections of poetry, receiving numerous awards, including the Marten Toonder Prize for Literature and the Irish American Cultural Institute prize for poetry. He has been a lecturer at Trinity College Dublin and a professor at the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies and is still writing poetry, splitting his time between New York City and Dublin.

"Just as the world wearies and worries us with its pervasive God awfulness, along comes the rebirth of faith in humanity that is Micheal O'Siadhail's utterly, utterly wonderful collection, The Essential Poems. My heavy heart lifts, and to quote the poet himself, 'explodes in an endless thank-you', for here is proof of an indomitable essence that will not submit to the inevitability of self-inflicted misery but will insist like Dante that we will see the stars again. O'Siadhail is the Dante of our day."—Mary McAleese, President of Ireland, 1997-2011"In one of the poems in this book, Micheal O'Siadhail speaks of a 'fathoming of wonder', and this phrase aptly describes his poetic imperative. These poems are intellectually curious; emotionally resonant; linguistically rich and beautifully formed. They explore the macrocosm and microcosm of human experience and repay multiple readings. This book is a very real treasure."—Eugene O'Brien, Mary Immaculate College"A deeply humane poet, Micheal O'Siadhail hits a new high in this wonderfully harmonious collection—a truly enjoyable and sensorial experience for all of us to share in these troubled times." —Jerry White, humanitarian activist, author, and diplomat

• Preface The Leap Year (1978) Sunflower Rungs of Time (1980) Roofing Belonging (1982) Senses Springnight (1985) In a New York Shoe-Shop Thank-You Note The Image Wheel (1990) Loss Autumn Report The Chosen Garden (1990) Those We Follow Beginnings A Presence An Unfolding Squall The Other Voice Out of the Blue St. Brigid's Cross While You Are Talking Hindsight A Circle Hail! Madam Jazz (1992) Largesse Between A Fragile City (1995) Leisure Courtesy Our Double Time (1998) Matins for You Our Double Time The Gossamer Wall (2002) Summons To Life! Haunted Never Love Life (2005) Long Song Moments Covenant Launch Parkinson's Gaze If Crimson Thread Globe (2007) Traces I've Crossed Famous Rivers Unbroken Doggone Blues Eclipse Butterfly Session Only End Tongues (2010) Worlds Lullaby Understanding Potential Meaning Partings Echo So One Crimson Thread (2015) 1 42 68 81 102 111 138 139 149 150 The Five Quintets (2018) Epigraph Making, Canto 5 ("Abundance"), i (Dante Aligheri) Making, Canto 5 ("Abundance"), v (Johann Sebastian Bach) Making, Canto 5 ("Abundance"), extract from ix (George Eliot) Making, Canto 5 ("Abundance"), xiii (Patrick Kavanagh) Dealing, Canto 5 ("Open Hand"), extract from iv (Amartya Sen) Steering, Canto 3 ("Power"), extract from ii (Joseph Stalin) Steering, Canto 5 ("A Beckoned Dream"), extract from iii Finding, Canto 4 ("Surprises"), extract Finding, Canto 5 ("All Dance"), extract Meaning, Canto 5 ("Burning Bush"), extract from v Testament (2022) Psalter (1, 2, 5, 30, 90, 112) Gospel The Sower Went Out Vineyard Desire (2023) Epigraph Pest (1) Habitat (11, 13) Behind the Screen (10, 14) Desiring (2, 21) Epilogue