75pp., paperback, Cape Town, 2017

"'Owl', the mythical figure that commands centre stage of Metaphysical Balm, is a refractory poetic device through which, in a wide range of narratives and contexts, Michèle Betty examines and contends with religion, inherited ideas, earlier poets and 'the tradition'. She astutely anchors the poems in concrete imagery so as to ensure that a considered balance between the actual and the imagined prevails. You don't often encounter a resonant voice in a first book, but that is precisely what distinguishes this collection." Douglas Reid Skinner

"This is an accomplished work of heart. The 'reverberations of the heart' in this volume resonate with other poets and philosophers. Highly commendable." Joan Hambidge

"Michèle Betty's collection with its protagonist Owl, breaks open the doors that keep life's mysteries hidden from view. Mystical and yet deeply grounded in the human(e), these are the sorts of poems which flood heart and brain with a brilliant, bloody light." Meg Vandermerwe

Michèle Betty is the poetry editor of New Contrast: the South African literary journal.

METAPHYSICAL BALM, poems

: Betty (M.)

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