In these masterful dramatic monologues and tales, Derek Kannemeyer presents an array of characters in lyrical verse that leave the reader intrigued by the intensity of each voice. From a young teenager recounting his experiences in a journal while learning English to a father in his mid-fifties visiting his daughter’s classroom to display the huff, puff, thump, shake, rattle, roll of noisemakers, these narrative poems enthrall the reader with breathtaking portraits, of figures whose revelatory voices convey a range of life’s intricacies. Dr. Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda, Virginia Poet Laureate Emerita