The past and distant past creeps through the lines and unsaid words in these poems; they explore how the past forms the present and connects our shared humanity. These are sensual poems, where sound, history and the natural world are dominant. A Madonna points to heaven in a silent French Chapel; snowdrops shock us with their vulnerability yet resilience; rivers are uncontainable, unstoppable, in turmoil, which leads us to question our own mortality. We must listen to the voices of our ancestors, respect the natural world, revalue ourselves, or face the consequences.