"How many close calls before we become ghosts?" wonders the author of this collection, where she reflects upon her experiences-emotional, relational and spiritual--during her partner's yearlong battle with a life-threatening illness. Threaded throughout these poems is the presence of the natural world-always a source of solace, but now more acutely and deeply felt. Early Praise: "This collection is a celebration of life and love-a testament to treasure." -Lin Nelson Benedek, When a Peacock Speaks to You in a Dream "Faced with a somber 'unexpected detour,' Debbie Hall has forged poetry that is deeply attentive and hopeful." -Rebecca Patrascu, Before Noon "These are poems with spines. 'Words you can barely form / with your own mouth, / vocabulary that you must now / make your own.' Hall is gifted with a language that is rich in observation and conveys it with profound courage and tenderness." -Sam Roxas-Chua, Saying Your Name Three Times Underwater "Language formed from ache, perseverance and enlightenment." -Jeff Walt, Leave Smoke