Bright Star, Elegy for David Bowie, by Graham Allen

25 Jan 2016

Published in the Bogman's Cannon, 23rd January 

So much has been written for our beautiful hero David Bowie - look at how we inspire each other if we rise to our greatest possible height in the universe. We are very proud to publish this morning a response by a major artist, Graham Allen, a sparkling elegy which does justice to Bowie's awe-inspiring brightness. Like all great elegies it is as much about the elevation its subject brought to existence as it is about working through a powerfully felt grief. That it is written by Graham Allen will be enough to recommend it to those already familiar with his ever-vivid poetry - which constantly challenges readers to see and to feel and to think at the maximum pitch of their being - as Bowie did in the songs of his life. Please give it a read and a share, if you like.

The full poem can be found here. 

Graham Allen is Professor in English in UCC. He was the winner of the 2010 Listowel Poetry Prize and has been short-listed for various prizes, including the Listowel First Collection Prize 2008, the Crashaw Poetry Prize for 2013, The Fool for Poetry Prize for 2014, and the Strong/Shine First Collection Prize 2015. His epoem Holes and his collection The One That Got Away (2014) are published by New Binary Press. His new collection, The Madhouse System, is due for publication this summer.