Deo Volente

Deo Volente (1998)
By Ruth Byars | Poetry Today
ISBN: 1862260532
Condition: Good (devout, well-behaved, slightly contemplative)
Offered by: Crappy Old Books

Deo volente – Latin for “God willing” – also loosely translates as “the phrase you mutter when your plans are probably doomed, but you’re trying to sound serene about it.”

In this 1998 collection, Ruth Byars gives that small, ancient phrase an entire poetic wardrobe: sometimes hopeful, sometimes wry, sometimes quietly bruised, sometimes unexpectedly cheerful. It’s the voice of someone who has clearly met real life, taken notes, and still hasn’t given up on grace.

What’s inside (apart from the Latin)

Expect a set of poems that circle around:

• Faith and doubt – the grown-up kind, not the easy, “everything is always fine” kind

• Daily life with divine interruptions – bus stops, washing up, hospital corridors, family dramas, all gently ambushed by theology

• The tug-of-war between our plans (“I will do X”) and reality (“we’ll see about that”)

• Moments of gentle humour where God seems to have read the script and scribbled in the margins

These aren’t thunder-and-lightning sermons in verse. Think more:

• Kitchen-table spirituality

• Teacup wisdom

• Quiet “I know exactly what you mean” recognition

This particular copy

• Condition: Good – which in Crappy Old Books language means:

  • Solid binding, cover intact, pages all present and readable

  • Some light signs of handling – the odd soft edge, maybe a tiny crease where someone parked their thumb while thinking too hard

• No catastrophic coffee baptisms, no biro massacres, no dog-ears the size of entire stanzas.

It looks pleasantly used but cared for – exactly what you want from a book of poems about life not always going to plan.

The vibe

Reading Deo Volente feels like:

• Sitting with a thoughtful friend who talks about God and life in normal sentences, without suddenly producing a fog machine and a stadium band

• Realising that “God willing” is not just a pious add-on, but sometimes the only sane way to approach a day full of variables

• Being reminded, poem by poem, that hope can be low-key, ironic, slightly tired – and still completely real

There’s a quiet sense of humour running underneath the seriousness, as if the poet has learned to raise one eyebrow at both herself and the universe.

Why you might actually want this

• You like faith-infused poetry but not the syrupy kind that pretends no one ever gets cross, bored or disappointed

• You enjoy small, reflective pieces you can read one at a time, then wander off and think about for a bit

• You appreciate writing that takes God seriously but doesn’t take itself too seriously

• You’re building a little corner of the bookshelf for quiet, non-shouty Christian voices

This is less “revival rally”, more “late evening, lamp on, everyone else in bed, finally a moment to think”.

Condition vs. Content

• Physically: Good – fine for handbags, bedside tables, pew bags, or that mysterious pile next to the kettle

• Spiritually/emotionally: occassionally sharp, often gentle, always human

• It won’t tell you what to think, but it might nudge you toward actually thinking – and occasionally praying something more honest than you meant to

You are allowed to underline things. Deo volente, of course.

Ideal for:

• Readers who hover somewhere between church and cynicism and like someone to talk to both sides at once

• Poetry fans who want their verse clear, reflective, and lived-in, not aggressively obscure

• Anyone who smiles at the incongruity of buying a book titled Deo Volente from a place called Crappy Old Books

Offered by Crappy Old Books, where the titles can be devout, the tone stays human, and this Good-condition little volume is ready to sit on your shelf, quietly whispering: God willing.

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