Joseph Bathanti

Reaching Forever

Arts & Literature

“Each time Philip Kolin delivers a new book of poetry, I declare that volume my favorite—and now there’s Reaching Forever. The title itself describes the art and valence of Kolin’s verse, and perhaps his ultimate quest. He’ll never stop reaching until he reaches forever, a destination arrived at exclusively by traveling the glorious and harrowing path of language. Over the years Kolin has established himself as a wholly liturgical poet. His ear is exquisite: sonic bursts of vibrato and a mendicant hush. I hear the numen in his syllables. What’s more, Reaching Forever immerses us in water. The reader is cleansed, christened and reminded that there abides a ‘dark river/we all must one day cross,’ that ultimately ‘you do not/have to wear/your body anymore.’ Reaching Forever is a beautifully sacramental addition to Philip Kolin’s considerable oeuvre.”