Light at the Torn Horizon

by Paul Murray

There is a fresh candor and a new ease of utterance in this fifth volume of poems by the Dominican writer Paul Murray. What most immediately impresses, in lyric after lyric, are the moments of quiet epiphany. But such moments of vision have not been easily achieved. Throughout the work, rather than avoid the “torn” and wounded areas of our lives, a range of feelings and experiences―unnamed, invading, threatening, desired―are courageously explored. In the end, the vision, the spiritual awareness that is attained, is the more persuasive and convincing for having first been tested.

Genres: Poetry

112 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2022

About the author

Paul Brendan Murray, O.P. (born 26 November 1947) is an Irish Dominican priest of the Catholic Church, poet, writer, and professor.

Source: Wikipedia

Reviews

[Katie Prater · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first two sections were nice, but they were a warmup for III, IV, and V. Those sections needed chewing and savoring. I wanted a whole series of the Meister Eckhart quote poems, and several others are well worth multiple reads.

Definitely thought the Dante/Virgil comparison by one reviewer was a stretch, though form would have elevated a couple of poems.

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took a risk buying this blind, but I'm quite happy with this book. Beautiful stuff. It felt similar to reading John O'Donohue, though with an even more mystical quality perhaps.

[Jonathan Mills · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was sweet to spend some extended time in poetry again and Paul Murray is a wonderful poet. Since there was a wide variety of poems, some that I absolutely loved and some that passed me by, I would give this collection 3/5 stars.

Props for some of the best cover art I have seen.

[Brentt Russel · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to its title, I enjoyed poring over this collection of poems at the crack of dawn and at sunset — but I most loved doing so under the rare occasions a ray of soft, midday light broke through the wintry clouds, warming my face and my soul.

[Hannah Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the joy of hearing Fr. Paul read some poems from this collection during the summer and they moved me to tears.
The full collection absolutely did not disappoint.
It’s a tremendous skill, to compile words that move the reader to look upward and inward in such a beautiful manner.

[Janna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!! Wonderfully illustrated showing the Holy Spirit at work in the lives of the saints!! Ingenious use of a flash light to illuminate the way!!