Lauris Edmond: Late Song

Auckland University Press

$19.95

Review: by Guy Allan*

Lauris Edmond died in January. Her literary story, that of the late bloomer, is well known and was recalled in the tributes at the time.

Late Song must also be last songs.

In its early parts, although she makes her old person's perspective clear, there is nothing to suggest any anticipation of things coming to an end.

All her strengths are there, especially the unflinching but warm and witty observations of people and places.

The wit is there even in the later poems when the premonitions are stark and grave, such as on waking to loneliness at 4.30 in the morning:

I'm unnerved, in retreat. This a quick taste

- and quite enough too - of that encompassing

silence that noisy convenient daylight,

when it comes, will just save me from seeing.

* Guy Allan is an Auckland trade union official and freelance writer.