In A Poet Speaks of Empire, January Nicole Wilson's fourth book of poetry, the author looks at today's Africa on the precipice of great change and tumult. Wilson captures something of the zeitgeist of this new era in Africa. In this book, distinct African countries inspire poems concerning change, growth, wonder and even love. She reveals the continent's great history, including the ancient empires of Ghana, Mali and Songhay, and imagines a future begging for rebirth. As she astutely points out, the rise and fall of empire are only a matter of history. Her studies of political science and African literature, as well as, encounters while living in Ghana have inspired this thought-provoking collection of poetry.