The Work of Restraint

The Work of Restraint is a collection of poems shaped by reflection rather than event. Written over several years, the poems return to themes of balance, doubt, silence, and recognition—not as conclusions, but as ongoing considerations. Resisting urgency and spectacle, the collection favours measured language and open endings. These poems observe moments where clarity does not require emphasis, and where holding back becomes a deliberate act. The book invites readers into a quieter order, where meaning is allowed to settle rather than be declared.