Reading: ‘Dunston Checks Out’ by Constance Bourg

In a continuation of my series of readings from The Anthropocene Hymnal, today Constance Bourg gives a moving and thought-provoking reading of her poem ‘Dunston Checks Out.’

The latest Five Star review of The Anthropocene Hymnal:

Kindle Customer5.0 out of 5 stars 
Heartfelt poetry Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2021 Verified Purchase

Maybe I’m biased as two of my poems are in this book of ‘songs of a self-defining era’, but this anthology of work by a wide range of poets from across the world, many of whom I know, reaches deep into the heart of our current situation, ‘dangling at the brink of absolute meltdown’. From the beautiful cover artwork to the final poem in the collection by editor and poet Ingrid Wilson, which asks us to ‘leave a light footprint’, I cannot tire of exploring the poetry contained within this volume. I love the way the poems interact; the best examples of this are ‘Between’ by Kerfe Roig and its reply by Amber Fields, and ‘When we fall’ by Jane Dougherty and ‘Turning Point’ by Jim Feeney. Many of the poems are about nature, some about its demise and others about hope for its future, one of my favourites being ‘Whale Petroglyph’ by David Cohea. The Anthropocene Hymnal should be read by everyone, including those who do not believe in climate change – it will change their minds.

Featured image: Christel SAGNIEZ from Pixabay