Ohio

All of the poems entitled "Ohio Cento," feature sights and scenes from the state of Ohio. Because this is the place where the speaker was born and grew up, the images contained within the "Ohio Cento" poems possess nostalgic undertones. The speaker describes the grasses, the plains, and the hills of the Ohio landscape with both tenderness and longing. Though she often sounds reluctant to spend too much time meditating on the images of the past, these poems also convey the speaker's deep connection to the place.

Speaker's Home

Throughout the collection, the speaker references and describes the interior of their home. Though the speaker does not offer the exact dimensions or aesthetic of the house, the poems that feature it capture the essence of the home. In poems like "First Thaw," "A Room Like This," "Porthole," and "During Lockdown, I Let the Dog Sleep in My Bed...