Poetry. Even as "sailors know a storm/ is close when all their knots have drawn tight," so these taut, intricate poems enact the dramatic encounter of opposing forces: high Romantic flight meets gravity's tow, Chagall's floating figures ride the tornado, fire exacts its inevitable toll as the dramer awakens--eloquent, unrepentant"--Eleanor Wilner. "Susan Terris's poetry is exquisite and extraordinary. Her poems exhibit an intellectual verve and a linguistic brilliance that are remarkable; what is more, this collection is both powerful and heart-breaking. There are few poets who can so deftly orchestrate the dramatic dilemmas of the daily with the profound wisdoms of the larger world. Restrained, wise and compelling, this book continues to burn long after it has left the reader's hands"--David St. John.