Hours of the Cardinal

Exploring the depths of grief, this collection of poems emerges from a mother's death, delving into the origins of consciousness before language and thought. The work intertwines stories from literature and art, confronting death through the lives of influential figures like Tsvetayeva and Kahlo. It reflects on historical atrocities while blending autobiography and history, ultimately challenging the notion of an afterlife. The final section contemplates selfhood before language, as Lyons reinhabits his mother's essence, merging afterlife and prenatal existence into a profound meditation on being.