From the Chihuahuan deserts of Mexico to the cellars of the Pentagon and the flaming ruins of Iraq, this poetry compilation merges the personal with the political. While retaining an intimate and unembellished tone, it confronts topical issues—notably the United States' wars abroad—and explores various universal themes, including aging, coping honestly with regret, dealing with fear, and desiring forgiveness. Powerful and lyric, these poems cut to the heart of the often painful, difficult, and deceptive human condition.