‘In Sweet River’s wash of water and words, there’s an implicit message. Humanity might be the great polluter, the river’s enemy, but it will all live on, preserved in language - language that seems to lighten Hibberd’s usual dismal subjects - decay and death. We get the full gloomy monty in this collection, ending with a joyless Ode To Joy. But there’s always the sweet river, pristine and beautiful, memorably mirrored by a master wordsmith. The title poem is pure lyric.’ - Barry Oakley