A Handful of Prayers

“Peter Lilly’s poetry offers us something all too rare—humble wisdom. Dialoguing with scripture and great writers, his voice is at turns sure and unsettled, knowing and curious. These are poems that speak to the hard truths of a fallen world while embracing poetry’s chief virtues—wonder, hope, and love.”

Whitney Rio-Ross

“In these pages is a remarkable care of language and a rich generosity of spirit. Anyone who reads them will, I am sure, be wonderfully refreshed.”

Paul J. Pastor

“Perhaps poetry is itself a form of prayer and these well-crafted poems by Peter Lilly will give both literary pleasure and spiritual insight. If, as Lilly asserts in his fine sonnet on CS Lewis, ‘We are remade in every moment.’, then these poems offer a sequence of beautiful momentary remakings. This is a collection that will reward many re-readings.”

Malcolm Guite

“The art of being a theologian or pastor is demonstrated in the ability to inhabit a moment and to give it expression which, in turn, points us to the Lover of our souls. It is to take time with, and care over, words. This artistry privileges us to become poet to the soul, songwriter to the heart, shepherd to the mind. Peter's collection of poems and sonnets beautifully demonstrate his craftsmanship, and how well he has mastered the task. Time taken pondering this carefully crafted compilation can only aid the reader towards better achieving a similar goal in creating wordscapes that give expression to our shared humanity.”

Graham McFarlane

“This is a fine collection of poems. Lilly weaves together the fine filaments of ordinary experience into a seamless tapestry. His sonnets on the Inklings are particularly good. It is a rare poet who can write well about ideas without becoming overly abstract and didactic, but Lilly achieves this admirably.”

Landon Loftin