Islands evoke the power of the moment. Away from busyness, beyond noise, above the din, the fog of modern life dissipates to reveal life's simple truths. These poems were written on the most remote, inhabited island on the Great Lakes. Inspired by pristine moments of fleeting clarity, thistles of thought could be let loose in the wind, meaning found in simple stones, and insight found in the shallows as well as the depths. Reflection pushes distractions to the edges of existence. In an age of distraction I hope these poems inspire the reader to recover the sublime beauty of living in the...