Shaped by Velma Pollard's sense of her Jamaican homeland's difficult history and unparalleled natural beauties, this poetry collection reaches the heart of Caribbean tragedy, both political and personal, without sentimentality, stridency, or loss of hope. With a finger on the pulse of change during the past four decades, these poems celebrate what is enduring through a conversational and thought-provoking female voice. Recording the experience of travel and the moments at rest when there is space for contemplation, the poet not only reflects upon the inequalities of race and gender, but also writes with authenticity on the contemporary experiences of Jamaican and Caribbean life.

Velma Pollard is a writer, a researcher, and an educator from Jamaica. She is the author of several books, including The Best Philosophers I Know Can't Read and Write, Considering Woman I & II, Crown Point and Other Poems, and Shame Trees Don't Grow Here. She is also the recipient of the prestigious Casa de las Americas Prize for her novella Karl.