[Under Stars] is in two parts, titled separately. Start Again Somewhere, the second part, is a loose collection whose theme is the generosity that time rather extorts from us if we are to remain sane and good-humored in the face of the mortal erosion our dreams, our loves, ourselves are subject to. (Whew!)… These poems are always compassionate, sometimes sad, sometimes deeply funny. The language is luminous, rhythmical, occasionally complex but never too difficult. Best are perhaps "My Mother Remembers She Was Beautiful" and "If Never Again"; it is always a problem to pick a favorite from one of Tess's collections.

If the second section is good, The Ireland Poems, the first half of the book, is a triumph. Based on her experiences during a substantial visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland, this minibook propels us along on a magic cloak of words from one immediacy to the...