Rich in image sonority and wit, Ralph Thompson's poems are the fruits of a maturity which has learned to confront the facts of life and death with both exuberance and dread. Humane and finely crafted, his poems are firmly rooted in Caribbean particularity, but are universal in their concerns. He has the story- teller's gift which grips, then leaves the reader pondering on the subtleties beneath the surface. This collection will establish him as a serious voice in West Indian poetry