The work of a spirit unafraid of powerful and enduring literary fashions and taboos, these poems exhibit a refreshing sensitivity to the superficial as well as the profound trends in the history of the craft. They arise. They embrace tradition through rhymes evocative of song, along with the blank verse modes currently popular. To sing in verse of the universal themes in detail and in succinct lines is one of the greatest creative challenges. To offer combinations of form melded into a seamless style is a much-needed gift and guide for the postmodern culture we might think we have surpassed. The themes in Maria’s poetry, rooted in nature’s diverse landscapes, are accompanied by the photographic art of Ramona du Houx. The editor’s preface provides personal insight into the vistas opened up in each poem.