Developing and expanding the explorations of previous works, this mature collection invokes shepherds and farm laborers, lakes and swimmers, and the changes of the seasons amid a play of light and shade, abandon and reserve. Suffused with the scents and colors of the Mediterranean landscape, these quietly thoughtful poems choose subtle over obvious effects yet convey an astounding force and beauty. Meditating upon erotic and rural themes, these poems reveal an affirmation of the unending power of language through short love lyrics, portrait poems, anecdotes, satirical epigrams, and beautifully crafted narratives of travel and memory.