H. D. Wagener writes poetry with the perspective of the skeptical western scientist; a kitchen helper/cook in a spiritual retreat center run by nuns; a carpenter; an expatriate from the Old South; and an American meditating two hours a day as a long-term student of a Hindu sage. He recognizes no limitations in subject matter. His thoughts are evocative; even the scriptures come under his scrutiny. The poems in "The Entire Packet" are intended to present a mystical perspective, to stir, occasionally to entertain, and to provide insight into the relations between physical reality, man, and...

This outstanding eclectic collection of poems in free verse includes narratives, short poetic essays, and portraits of people. Euclidean dreams, intelligent design, the bedrock under Carnegie Hall, the lunar surface, speculations on waves of thought and the consciousness of unicellular organisms add intriguing dimensions. H. D. even tackles what God is. New takes on bringers of new things and a replacement for Hanley Denning round out the collection.

In his poetry, H. D. Wagener often attempts to walk the invisible boundary between that which is real and that which is impermanent, or...