A review by theeuphoriczat
Sonnets for Albert: Shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Poetry 2022 by Anthony Joseph

4.0

This autobiographical collection explores the author's relationship with his father, after his father's death. And because "...memory has a curious sting", he seems to finally perceive his father as a well rounded individual who had loved and lost despite his absence and somewhat disregard. With each poem Anthony draws us closer to his relationship with stories on religion, death, food, and small worlds they inhabited.

Some of my favourite poems are "Precipice", "A gap in language", "The trembling unto death", and "The work of generations".

"While we turn she says that she is near
the end of a circular motion.
...
That soon it will be our turn too, to turn
towards our graves.
...
Life and death are simple
when considered in this way."