Strand's sonnet-like free verse in this book gives an impression of solid mortality, the security and fragility of experience. I found these poems to be largely satisfying, though I found myself feeling a little impatient with his long poem "Grotesques." The prose poems included in this collection were mildly interesting (note of bias: I very often find prose poems to be pedantic or overwrought). This is a highly recommended read and would also be a worthwhile purchase.

Excerpt from "A.M.":
How well the sun's rays probe
The rotting carcass of a skate, how well
They show the worms and swarming flies at work,
How well they shine upon the fatal sprawl
Of everything on earth. How well they love us all. ( )