"How many close calls before we become ghosts?" wonders the author of this collection, where she reflects upon her experiences--emotional, relational and spiritual--during her partner's yearlong battle with a life-threatening illness. Threaded throughout these poems is the presence of the natural world--always a source of solace, but now more acutely and deeply felt.

Early Praise:

"This collection is a celebration of life and love--a testament to treasure."

--Lin Nelson Benedek, When a Peacock Speaks to You in a Dream

"Faced with a somber 'unexpected detour, ' Debbie Hall has forged poetry that is deeply attentive and hopeful."

--Rebecca Patrascu, Before Noon

"These are poems with spines. 'Words you can barely form / with your own mouth, / vocabulary that you must now / make your own.' Hall is gifted with a language that is rich in observation and conveys it with profound courage and tenderness."

--Sam Roxas-Chua, Saying Your Name Three Times Underwater

"Language formed from ache, perseverance and enlightenment."

--Jeff Walt, Leave Smoke