The distinguished poet Harvey Shapiro passed away on January 7, 2013. The poems in this book, many of them previously unpublished and discovered only after his death, are a great gift, and the final confirmation of his extraordinary talent. Edited by Shapiro's literary executor, the poet and critic Norman Finkelstein, these last poems bear an unprecedented gravitas, and yet they are as supple, jazzy, and edgy as Shapiro's earlier work. All the themes for which he is known are beautifully represented here. There are poems of his experiences in World War II, the erotic life, and of daily moments in Brooklyn and Manhattan, all in search of a worldly wisdom and grace that the poet calls "a momentary glory." As Shapiro tells us, the poem "Is an Egyptian / ship of the dead, / everything required / for life stored / in its hold." The book includes an introduction by the editor.

Editor's IntroductionThe Old Man Has One Thought and Then AnotherFor William Carlos WilliamsReznikoffOppen"It may have been...""When I asked Wallace Stevens..."The People's PoetOn a Rejection Note From Paul MuldoonHomageLines (1)Now I WriteOn My BookWriting"I wrote two poems in my sleep..."The PoemDuring the Second World WarMemorial DayAn American LifeDiscourse On EducationFoggia, ItalyThe Old WarSongThe TransactionAlexandraLydiaCynthiaKing Kong's WongNightpiece"Drear, bleared and boiled..."A StoryBrief LivesBrooklynTo The Brooklyn Academy of MusicLines (2)7th Avenue IRTTimes SquareIn the CityPraise ForThe KeysKey WestFloridaReal EstateDeerSuburban NoteRockportParisIn PragueQuestionsGreenMozart PoemWorldIn the BeginningDan, Age 10, ExplainsBush PoemHot Summer"A bird in a tree..."Birds"Like a boy again..."RememberingFridayBook Group"I am in a warm room..."The DistanceRabbi Nachman's ParableFor AdinDejectionThe Mother of InventionPlanningHonestly"Where was the wisdom..."DrumsIn ArgumentThe Old JewLines (3)Departures2007The OfficeIn the OfficeHospital PoemSelf-PityLines (4)Luxury of Time"The piece of myself..."PardonedCity PoemPoeticsFor GalenBright WinterA Momentary GloryPsalm