Cracked

From a clandestine attempt at theft to a final acceptance of life's convoluted and challenging path, in a burst of "Song," Life: Descending / Ascending covers much ground with thistle and wildflowers. Shapiro's second collection of poems is a rare volume that is both celebratory and somberly thought-provoking. It takes a poet, painter or musician to point out the minutiae of details in our human experience, those impressions that most strongly influence us, even in our unawareness of them. ...