I ndán dá chuid maíonn an file Rómhánach, Horatius, ‘Exegi monumentum aere perennius’ (Tá leacht tógtha agam is buaine ná an cré-umha). Is fíor sin, a bheag nó a mhór, faoin fhilíocht ar fad mar ghné ar leith den litríocht, ach is cruinne a thagann sé le cnuasach éigse ar nós an leabhair seo mar a bhfuil bailithe le chéile na dánta uilig a chum an file ar feadh a shaoil ar fad, ‘ó fhás go haois, is ó aois go bás’.

Ní hionann agus an dráma nó an ficsean, mar a mbíonn an t-údar ag léiriú eachtraí agus mothúchán daoine eile, is as anam agus meanma an fhile féin a bheirtear dán, cuma cad as don ábhar atá le fuineadh go gairmiúil leis an toradh ealaíonta a chur ar fáil, pé acu an as eachtraí ina shaol pearsanta é nó i saol daoine eile, as an stair nó as an Nádúr. Mar sin, tugann na dánta sa leabhar seo deis don léitheoir breathnú ar an saol mar a bhí ag an bhfile féin á dhéanamh go dóchasach neamhurchóideach agus é ina ógánach, ansin le linn dó maireachtáil tríd an sonas is an donas de réir mar a roinneann an Chinniúint ar gach duine iad, go dtí go sroicheann sé clabhsúr ár n-oilithreachta ‘in hoc lacrymarum valle’, agus é ag breathnú siar ar a shaol, mar a deir Dante, ar nós duine a thagann slán ón fharraige agus a sheasann ag féachaint siar ar na tonnta fiáine fíochta.

Ní de réir an ama inar cumadh iad, áfach, atá na dánta cóirithe sa leabhar, ach chun go mbainfí taitneamh as an éagsúlacht.

In one of his poems the Roman poet, Horatius, claims ‘Exegi monumentum aere perennius’ (I have built a monument more permanent than bronze). This is true to some extent about poetry in general as a particular type of literature, but it is more accurate when it comes to a poetry collection such as this one, where the poems written by the poet throughout his life are gathered together.

Born in Limerick in 1927, Críostóir Ó Floinn has published across a wide range of genres to date. Coming directly from the soul and spirit of the poet, this collection provides the reader with a particular insight into Ó Floinn’s life throughout the years.