Owen Marshall has been writing occasional poems as the mood struck him ? hence the title of this, his first book of poems. The volume Occasional consists of 50 poetic texts celebrating a variety of occasions ? some small, some larger, but always thought-provoking. There are poems in honour of recently deceased writers Bill Sewell and Janet Frame; poems drawing strength and inspiration from family members and familial values; and poems about the local landscapes that are somehow more than local landscapes.