"Jason Allen's A Meditation on Fire is a fierce, courageous collection of poems, a ferocious, yet meditative mission to dig for the truth beneath the surface of all that it means to be human. Allen's poetry is gritty and lyrical, profound and sardonic, and his use of language is as precise as a scalpel. Allen is willing to risk being vulnerable while exploring the darkest moments of his life, and all the while he straddles the line between compassion and desire. A must read for anyone who loves poetry, and for those who don't yet know they love poetry. What an amazing, powerful book " --Maria Mazziotti Gillan, American Book Award Winner