In A Row of Lamps, Jaime Dasca Doble boldly presents a resurgence of the lyric in spaces marked by intimacy and distance, confession and polemics, insisting that there remains deeper unrest in our society. At times when nature turns into a tormentor rather than a sanctuary, the crying soul navigates with foreknowledge and faith, and it pleads for justice along with the inexpressible longings of the injured and underserved. The entire collection points to a row of lamps. When one’s eyes are intent to finding the truth, poetry becomes prayer: it meditates on the God of small and great things, standing before all things sacred as an honored ambassador. Likewise, when one’s mind and heart are fixed with a deep desire to find the secret meaning of things, prayer becomes poetry: it raises the human spirit with utmost tenderness in the midst of a world in chaos. This collection of poems seeks to understand our shared humanity in troubled times. It encourages us to find enlightenment and behold its infinite light that far outweighs all inordinate desires. Set on fire with an eternal longing for the solemn and right, the human soul burns with utmost intensity, and it dares to speak for the beloved, pure as blood. That kind light guides the reader, and its gift of insight will continue to glow even after the poet is extinguished, long gone, be he far removed or mercifully returned to its gentle source.

1. Philippine poetry (English).