Gary Allen writes with passion and assurance, a poetry which is alive with real character and galvanized by the tensile potency of his language. He is able to chart with empathy and a sharp vision the cold terrain of what it means to be an outsider, whether emotional, physical or metaphoric. This collection should prove beyond any doubt that he is one of the finest Northern Irish poets his generation has produced. - --Professor Nigel McLaughlin This is poetry that goes for the jugular. Allen's poetry is marked by its potent, dynamic syntax, and also by his storyteller's sensibility. Skillfully crafted in their shifting perspectives, there is a great verve and sense of surprise in his lines. He has a fantastic ability to swoop into vivid detail while keeping the poem sweeping onwards. This is tough, sometimes brutal poetry, but still singing, a rich and rough music, just right for our times.

--Alan Gillis, poet & editor of the Edinburgh Review.