A boy falling in love with his next door neighbor, a priest longing for a more fulfilling life, a garage owner closing his shop to eat a lard sandwich, "Sister" Lily sporting three pairs of new shoes when "two is ample," a father trying to gain his son's admiration by reading Wordsworth to his class-these and more come alive in Lawson's collection of narrative poetry, "Something about Missouri."

His portrayal of a past rural life is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, but always sensitive to the complications of growing up. This world becomes a metaphor for family, adolescent love, and the...