The Second Night of the Spirit: New Voices

Poetry is ultimately mythology, the telling of stories of the soul, Stanley Kunitz wrote. “The old myths, the old gods, the old heroes have never died. They are only sleeping at the bottom of our minds, waiting for our call.” These myths, these gods, these heroes are called upon and awakened in this startlingly confessional debut volume. While exploring the dynamics of illness, Bherwani extends his domain, evoking all that is mysterious and nonsensical, beyond family, beyond earth, to heaven, to hell, embracing those old myths, gods, and heroes to try to make sense of our own mortal situation.

Within the context of a sibling’s enduring love for his brother, this collection examines the intricacies of relationship that define family. Bherwani’s narrator grapples with the brother’s affliction, exploring, in the process, the predicaments of illness, loss, and handicap.