This Will Be

Liturgy and poetry share a lot of common properties. The liturgist and poet aim to transport the imagination of the reader beyond simple language and into an experience of the universal word. Through liturgical and poetic language, we come to discover a rich trove of possible meanings that surpasses the simple reading of the word. This Will Be is a collection of poems that explores the wonder and mystery surrounding our modern complex lives. Through the medium of these poems, our humanity is sympathetically rendered in the gentle interplay between Moses and his friend, the longing to connect to something more than materialism, and a joyful celebration of the beauty of language itself. There are no easy answers in this work to our daily fears and struggles. If there is any truth to be found in this collection it is that while we can be self-destructive, we’re more than simple lemmings looking for the nearest cliff.

Terry Boyle is a retired lecturer in Irish and British literature. He has taught literature at the University of Ulster in Derry, Northern Ireland, and Loyola University at Chicago. In 2011 his play, Oh What a Bloody Good Friday!, reached the semifinals of the Eugene O'Neill competition. Following this success, he has had a number of plays performed in Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, and Ohio. In 2021 his poem "A New Economy" was included in The Best of New British and Irish Poets 2019-2021 and some of his poems have been published in Irish American News (Chicago/Ohio), Ritualwell.org.