Enigmatic, densely woven imagery exploring fugitive states of mind is juxtaposed with a plain-spoken narrative in this collection of poetry by Robert Saxton. Starting with a murder in China during the age of Confucius and ending with a sestina about a difficult family Christmas in front of the television, a restless, rhyme-driven craftsmanship, energetic in making new forms as well as in exploiting traditional ones, unites these extremes. The poetry's focus ranges from landmarks in cultural history, such as the first performance of Nijinsky's ballet "L'apres-midi d'un faune, to the poet's responses to a serious cycling accident.