CANONGATE BOOKS (KOBO), 2012
160 PAGES
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
Clear Light contains 150 haiku bursting with Alan Spence's characteristic verve and wit.
Mythic and mesmerising, inspiring and hilarious, these poems shed clear light on the delights, hardships, breakthroughs and frustrations of the world of the momentary.
Simple in form, these haiku request a fresh look at the familiar and leave us reeling at how much in the world, from the exotic to the everyday, we have yet to observe.
EXTRACT
As if I've never
Seen it before -
The new moon.....
WHAT I THOUGHT
Clear Light is a lovely collection of Haiku's. I didn't enjoy these as much as Spence's other collection Glasgow Zen which was amazing but I enjoyed it all the same. Spence does something with Haiku's that I really like. Haiku's are one of my favourite forms of poetry and can be a pleasure to read when done really well. Clear Light contains some lovely Haiku's. The Haiku's in Glasgow Zen had titles for the most part and played with structure. Clear Light contains very traditional, untitled haiku's. They are very simple and beautiful.
RATING
Alan Spence, book lover's boudoir, clear light, haiku, library book, poetry, poetry review