Welcome
Brother David’s poetry reflects the monastic life of prayer in an island setting. Inspired by the sea, the wildlife and landscapes of Caldey Island, his work combines spiritual reflection with close observation of the natural world. Through themes of faith, memory, nature and human experience, his poems offer a glimpse into the unique rhythms of island life.
Published Collections
Songs from Solitude (1999)
On the Night Tide (2001)
Delayed by Rough Seas (2003)
Watching for the Wind (2006)
Echoes from a Far Shore (2009)
The Music of the Ocean (2013)
On the Seventh Wave (2016)
Deep unto Deep (2020)
Shelter from the Storm (2023)
The Beauty of the Silent Sea (Coming Soon)
Picture: Francesca Jones
About Br David
David Hodges is a monk of the Cistercian Abbey on Caldey Island, off the coast of Wales. His poetry is rooted in the rhythms of monastic life and draws inspiration from prayer, the sea, nature and the changing seasons of island life.
Before entering the monastery he practised as a solicitor in Swansea. His work has appeared in numerous literary and spiritual journals, including The Tablet, The Humanist, Christian Student Quarterly and The Poetry Ireland Review, and has also been broadcast on BBC Radio and Television.
The poetry collections span more than two decades of writing, inspired by faith, island life and the changing moods of the sea. Click here for more information about his books.
Critical Acclaim
David Hodges’ poetry has been warmly received by readers, reviewers and literary journals. The following comments relate to a number of his collections, including Songs from Solitude, On the Night Tide, Delayed by Rough Seas, Watching for the Wind, Echoes from a Far Shore, The Music of the Ocean, On the Seventh Wave and Deep unto Deep.
“… His poems are best seen as icons pointing us to truths beyond the words…”
Kathleen Norris, The Benedictine Review
“…These poems are not just beautifully crafted, and full of the winds, weathers and wildlife of the beautiful Pembrokeshire island of Caldey but they chart a profound spiritual journey…”
Amy Wack, Seren
“…As ever, his poems evoke very sharply the physical environment, the rain and spray and wind and sun of the Atlantic; and they consistently steer us from the bracing weather of this coastal territory towards that other interior territory of the wind and sun of grace, leaving us on the coast of our humanity, invited into the depths…”
Rowan Williams
“…an outstanding poet with wide appeal…”
Taras Miles, The American Benedictine Review
“…I enjoyed reading it…”
Michael Schmidt, Carcanet