Bucolics

Untitled and unpunctuated, the seventy poems in this acclaimed collection seem to cascade from one page to another. Maurice Manning extolls the virtues of nature and its many gifts, and finds deep gratitude for the mysterious hand that created it all. that bare branch that branch made black by the rain the silver raindrop hanging from the black branch Boss I like that black branch I like that shiny raindrop Boss tell me if I’m wrong but it makes me think you’re looking right at me now isn’t that a lark for me to think you look that way upside down like a tree frog Boss I’m not surprised at all I wouldn’t doubt it for a minute you’re always up to something I’ll say one thing you’re all right all right you are even when you’re hanging Boss What happens when a poet speaks to God as a farmhand speaks to his boss? Contemplative Poetry: Manning’s seventy unpunctuated poems cascade from one page to the next, wrestling with faith, gratitude, and the mystery of creation. A Unique Conversational Tone: Each poem is a direct address to "Boss," a powerful and enigmatic creator figure, blending reverence with a folksy, rustic familiarity. Rich Nature Poetry: Discover the profound in the everyday—a raindrop on a black branch, the shadow of a hawk, a buzzard’s hop—as the collection finds the divine in the details of rural life. Lyrical Free Verse: Without the confines of title or punctuation, the language flows with a raw, musical rhythm that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.