And a Branch Shall Grow

Katherine L. Gordon is an editor and poet in Rockwood, Ontario. She is
the author of An Impact of Butterflies and Saving Camelot.

And a Branch Shall Grow is a satisfying collection of poems. The
book’s lavender cover, soft as Ireland and the far hills, frames a
starkly riveting image of The Famine Ship, a metal-and-stone sculpture
at the foot of Croagh Patrick. The sculpture is an indication of the
fierceness of life, which contrasts with the passions, tears, and
tenderness within the book’s pages.

The religious thread, unravelled by the first Maggie of the magical
seven generations and measured out to her following women descendants,
is deliciously undogmatic. Woman holds an esteemed and core role in the
celebrations of the thresholds of life.

Baigent introduces her Maggies—her foremothers, daughters, and
granddaughter—in sections that capture their essence, their unique
attributes, their proud differences and endearing commonalities. The
pivotal events that await each girl are turned on the wheel of poetry as
the bards of old would spin a family story. Some of these verses are so
mystically lovely they come close to Sufi ecstatic insight: “I am
ravished / by an awesome darkness / possessed by an ageless song.”

The language is always lyrical even when it must expose some hurtful
interaction. Baigent deals with the beauty and the tragedy that decorate
each life, helping each reader view and treasure family history as the
incredible legacy it is. In striking poems of connection, she pays
tribute to many friends who have enriched her life. The notes at the end
of the book provide welcome knowledge of the times and landscapes.

The influence of Celtic mysticism pervades this book “like kismet
weaving everything, / in knot-work spirals.” And a Branch Shall Grow
is an adventure to revel in. Like the littlest Maggie of the seven
generations, you will exult in being “dusted with Celtic soil.”