BEAUTIFUL GHOST (2019)

‘Beautiful Ghost’ comprises 30 poems written during an intensively creative period for Johnny Monroe in the late summer and early autumn of 2019, following hot on the heels of his savage satirical novel, ‘The Kamikaze Harvest’, his children’s story, ‘The Butterfly’, and the publication of the four-volume ‘Winegums’ essay collection. It is his third collection of poetry and displays a sympathetic and sensuous understanding of the human condition, one that can provoke both laughter and tears. In it, the author returns to the familiar emotive topics of love, loss, betrayal and bereavement, but also extends his poetic vocabulary to encompass nostalgia, nature, and an elemental affinity with the changing of the seasons and the animal kingdom. Yes, there is intensity, but there is also sardonic black humour and an occasional lightness of touch that may pleasantly surprise some.

‘Beautiful Ghost’ is a strong, solid collection from a wordsmith at the peak of his powers, and is a worthy addition to an ever-expanding library of richly-varied material.