Porch Light to the Longshoreman by Colleen Alles

Reading these poems is its own form of vigil, its own way of recapturing the subtle joys of life’s opportunities, the simple wonder of a new appliance, the comfort of a home that is long outgrown but always, always home. –Greg Schreur, Writer, teacher   Alles mines midlife and MidWestern particulars for emotional resonance. Small lakes, Great Lakes, falling willow branches, and relentless waves—these surround moments of focus on her infant’s hairline. She wades honestly through both gratitude and the desire to have a beer and rest her head on the bar.

–Lindsay Ellis, Writer, Associate Professor of English at Grand Valley State University