From the author of the Victorian ghost story "Hawthorne Cottage" this measured and meted compendium of lyrical poetry is now submitted for worldly view. The poetic presence in his book trudges from the dark to the light while meandering through the grey area in between; it occasionally pauses to reflect upon the present, the past, and the prospects of the future. Included in this compilation of hopes, dreams, and nightmares is the poem "The Black Bird" which inspired the novella by the same name.