The first of three sections in this book concern real or imagined relatives and acquaintances and events such as a fish fry and a visit to a grandmother in a nursing home. The second part deals with such topics as the Civil Rights Movement, abused prisoners of war, and the black artist who painted Bill Clinton's portrait. Many of the poems in the final part are based on events in the Bible. This is the first book by this author and winner of the 2007 Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award.