This is a book of poetry, designed to tell the story of a human life. The subject matter of the poems is diversified at first sight. There are poems dedicated to friends, and those dedicated to family. There is an homage to philosophy and one to the blues. The first poem is meta-poetical; its subject matter is poetry itself.

Many of the poems are intended to reflect spirituality. Although a central theme in many of them is Judaism, the spirituality crosses boundaries of "organized" religions. One poem is an obvious exercise in Zen. Another is spoken from the point of view of a Native...