Whiteout

Cyfrol o gerddi dwysbigol, yn cynnwys y llon a'r lleddf. Mae'n llwyddo i fwrw golwg ar gyflwr y byd a'i holl ffaeleddau ac anhrefn. Gwaith dau awdur yw'r deunydd, ac adlewyrchir hyn yn y lleisiau amrywiol a'r safbwyntiau gwahanol a welir ynddo.

By turns impassioned, elegiac and tongue-in-cheek, 'Whiteout' confronts the reader with the world's uncertainties and disorder. This is a co-authored volume, a feature that chimes with the wider project of playing with voice and perspective, of achieving a form of whiteout.

This is a beautifully produced book from Parthian, a joint work by the two poets, and a fascinating and diverse range of poems. Based on the concept of the ‘dual voice’ the paradox and uncertainty of life it explores the boundaries of the human and spiritual. In works such as ‘Vorrest’ the language used resonates throughout. Conjuring an ancient depth, the poet's language relates directly to the atmosphere of the forests’ depths and the mystical qualities in the history of the place. The similarly exquisite ‘Alcove of Yellow Horses’, based upon ancient cave paintings, describes a very different atmosphere. The description of colours enriches the lines ‘dots and lines/ red as morellos’ and later, ‘He and I, roaming virtual caverns/ for ochre blushes.’ The imagery is expertly presented. The breaks in the stanzas allow the reader to keep up with the action portrayed. The very compact poem ‘M4’ resonates with quick and powerful images ‘ I’ll tell you what/ alien is; that night–drift west from Cardiff,/ constellated/ tankers pushing to their chevroned exits.’ This concise description is pictorial and filmic, the emotions raw. There is a really lovely use of language overall these two very skilled and imaginative authors have produced a refined and intelligent collection of poetry.