A collection of imaginative and witty poems, this work displays astonishing energy; beauty of expression; and a range of reference to contemporary life, history, art, and literature. Including both meditative and narrative poems, this volume frequently focuses on extreme situations where compassion, love, and individual determination triumph against all odds. "Daphne's Lot" explores the life of an Englishwoman, the poet's mother, as she is caught up in the madness of the Nigerian civil war, while "Buffalo Women"--an epistolary sequence of poems--follows two lovers mired by the American Civil War. Through irony and empathy, this collection presents characters who are at odds with their societies.