A wry, singular wit, an astringent honesty, and a virtuoso use of traditional forms characterise Douglas Houston’s new book. At its (broken) heart is the not-uncommon crisis of the break-up of a marriage. Houston spins a sharp series of villanelles on the subject, at once poignant and merciless. This is poetry with an ironic grace, a style that is full of intelligent observation, yet avoids condescension.