Visited by the hard weather of melancholy and harsh truth, the terrain of this collection fills with shadows and stone, sorrows and ash - its world broken by a daughter's violent death. But such seasons of pain are not relentless. In rich and memorable lines, Ron Talney gives us delight in vivid images, wisdom in striking tropes. Offering respite and solace, he creates from "...rocks and trees/the poems we need."


Paulann Petersen, Author of Bride of Narrow

Escape and Kindle, Poet Laureate of Oregon




With great talent, command of craft, enormous courage and emotional honesty that is humbling, Ron Talney shows us a way to make the unbearable bearable. These are poems that must be written and few have the grit to write them. These poems will remain in heart and mind to encourage us all to keep going and somehow make us feel better.


Verlena Orr, Author of Taking it to the Limit