Reviewed by David Bell

A Plan in case of Morning sets out its intentions early on with the book’s three separate sections: “Going Out”, “Going Under”, and “Coming In”, identifying the collection as a journey or, more precisely, a hero’s journey. Each section begins with quotes from Gawain the Green Knight, Dante’s Inferno and James Joyce’s Ulysses. Charting a path that takes us through the challenges of life, family, friendships, love, and dealing with the past. As such, the collection benefits from being read in chronological order, but the poems do also stand on their own so they can be enjoyed individually.

  The first poem in the collection, or rather, proem, is Epigram for a Neanderthal which as the name suggests is a short witty poem that pokes fun at a traditional image of the ideal man “who swaps his viper for a van” projecting comfort and stability, but who is “frankly, boring”. The poem itself quickly establishes Provance’s voice, one that is playful if sometimes slightly bitter, giving his writing a sardonic edge. 

  The poem How It Goes, which is situated within the section “Going Out”, is a poem that sees the speaker fantasizing about an unknown woman before his attention turns to two blackbirds jostling over a twig with a single scarlet berry. Perhaps, it is about the emptiness of shallow sexual desires in lieu of a more meaningful connection. What is compelling about the poem is the contemplative space that it creates, only to be brought back to the present in the final moments: “Striking my chest / berryless. Suddenly, I realise I am cold”. In terms of form, the poem takes the shape of a newspaper column and is in a prosaic style which differs from the pieces around it as Provance plays with poetic form and style throughout the collection. 

  Towards the end of “Going Under”, the mood changes from the sad and complex family relationships presented within pieces like The Poem is and the ideas of hopelessness conveyed in Why The Coyote Doesn’t Just Order Chinese. The tone becomes more peaceful with What the Irish Sea Teaches. The opening line “let them break, your waves of words” create a musical quality through the alliteration which only develops as the poem progresses. I won’t go any further to describe it, as I believe it to be a standout piece in the collection and should be experienced in full by the reader. Suffice it to say it is a fine example of Provance’s poetic craft.

  “Coming In” stands in contrast to the previous sections of the book as the poems within purvey the author settling down. Pieces like Epigram for My Son on His Third Birthday are whimsical and very wholesome, offering a much needed respite from the hard times and complex issues of life offered up in previous sections. This pins down how well thought out the structure of the collection is. By the time we reach the poem Valediction we, as readers, are ready for those final words which offer advice on moving forward from the troubles life throws at you, “as a / sinner receives communion, bent / and bowed at the grace in forgetting / all she can’t un-know”.

  To conclude, this is an intriguing first full-length collection from Phill Provance which explores both lived experience as well as what it means to come to terms with that experience. Personally, I enjoyed my time with the collection, both the arc which it presents through the structure as well as certain moments of genuinely exciting writing make A Plan in Case of Morning a book which is well deserving of your time. 

Visit aplanincaseofmorning.com to learn how you can win $10,000, just by reading Phill’s collection.

Phill Provance, A Plan in Case of Morning, Vine Leaf Press, $12.99, ISBN 1925965406

Epigram for a Neandethal and How it Goes are both available to read here on the Sons and Daughters website.

David Bell is a creative writing MA student at Newcastle University, with a focus on poetry and script writing. He is currently working on a collection set in his home town of Prudhoe called 'Prudhoe Banter'. The poems within the collection explore the interaction between the geographical history, personal history and invented history. To read more of his work, click here or here.