Connecting the dots : [electronic resource] poems / Maxine Kumin.

In these new poems, her eleventh collection, Maxine Kumin expands on the themes that have engaged her most strongly. Family connections resurface as she imagines a letter to her mother, long dead, or assesses the shift of responsibility between generations ("...they still love us who overtake us"). Her dialogue with the natural world - especially with the narrow divide between human and animal - continues, most notably in "Deja Vu", where she pays homage to her personal totem, the bear. Change and the things that never change attract Kumin's attention equally. Whether chronicling the bounty of summer, the cycle of seasons, or memories of youthful parties and lost friends, her voice is wise, clear, and compelling.

Letters -- The Height of the Season -- After the Cleansing of Bosnia -- Getting the Message -- Rehearsing for the Final Reckoning in Boston -- Youth Orchastra, with Dogs -- Cross-Country Skiing -- The Bridge-Builder -- The Last Words of Henry Manley -- In a Different Country -- An Insider's View of the Garden -- Early Thoughts of Winter -- Almost Spring, Driving Home, Reciting Hopkins -- After the Heat Wave -- Chore -- In Praise of the New Transfer Station -- The Word -- Vignette -- Deja Vu -- Down East News Item -- Allegories in H, D, and B -- New Year's Eve 1959 -- October, Yellowstone Park -- In Memory of Danny L. -- Carrying Sue -- Lancaster County -- After the Poetry Reading

Gus Speaks -- From the 18th Floor -- Spring Training -- Beans Beans Beans -- The Riddle of Noah -- Connecting the Dots