Poetry. ANNE ASKEW ON THE KAFKA MACHINE is an affectionate and at times startling poetic account of life growing up in Ireland. The poems are earthy and lyrical against a backdrop of political events. There is a nod to Irish folklore, and to the myths that connect people to their land and which shape their sense of time and destiny. Barbara writes in a way that is succinct and witty, showing how simple yet significant human relationships are, infusing her poems with tender details while never taking her eye off the inevitable endings that are interwoven into human destiny.