The House of Blue Light: Poems

The House of Blue Light is the second collection of autobiographical “memory poems” by Catholic-school-boy-gone-bad-turned-poet-made-good David Kirby, a stand-up comic of verse if ever there was one: “in Stardust Memories . . . these wise space aliens who visit Earth . . . tell [Woody Allen] that if he really wants to serve humanity, / he should tell funnier jokes—wait, that’s my duty, / I think, that’s my public duty! Because sooner or later, / we all turn upside down.”

Wearing both heart a...