Have you ever noticed the half-moon shapes at the base of your fingernails? These are known as “lunulae.” Doireann Ní Ghríofa is captivated by these crescents, viewing them as small astronomical wonders that accompany us everywhere. She invites readers to find solace in small yet beautiful things amidst the current social and political climate, where each day may seem increasingly bleak. “Do not wallow in despair,” she implies. “Not all the good in the world has gone.”
Ní Ghríofa’s new collection, also titled Lunulae, celebrates these little marvels of the human body and its surroundings, highlighting the imagination required to recognize and appreciate them.
— Melina Traiforos, WFU Press intern
The poem “Lunulae” reflects on how darkness might envelop us but reminds us of hope through the metaphor of crescents in our fingernails. Ní Ghríofa writes about ten small moons that provide light even amid darkness.
— Doireann Ní Ghríofa, from Lunulae (2024)
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