Pete Donohue

Swallowing Paregoric Babies Pete Donohue

"swallowing paregoric babies published by the ever outstanding Uncollected Press (USA) is Pete Donohue's first full-length collection: let me tell you that this is one hell of a debut: the poems assault all of the senses and not gently either: poems that have been crafted, first-hand, from the unseen, unwanted crevices of this life: there are references to Bukowski, Hunter S Thompson, Jack Kerouac, William Burroughs, Bob Dylan, J J Cale: poems of drugs and suicide, love and friendship, of nature, of humour, strike every page with a clarity and openness that is missing in so much poetry these days: this is not an easy ride and the terrain is often hostile, brutal and unrepenting: there are poems swirling with a soft tenderness and empathy, portrait poems, reflective ponderous poems, and poems that soar and sing with hope: read the poems 'she don't lie' 'richard's bay window' 'a real poet' 'crocuses and crackheads' 'bullfrog love' 'loose that noose' 'visions' 'papal dispensation' 'librarian' 'people pissing you about' 'those stained' 'forever' 'is in the sky' 'celebritease' and you'll know what I mean: this book will no doubt further Pete's presence in the small-press and it shall be well deserved: this is a formidable collection and I have a very strong feeling that it may be one of the best and strongest collections of poetry that I'll have the pleasure of reading this year."