"Poetry dwells in all of us and it's often a matter of cultivation that leads to fruition. It is about finding voice. My experience as an educator has made this my mantra and mission, whether it has been leading breast cancer survivors in a workshop or nurturing reluctant middle schoolers to write a poem. A discovered voice is something I am privileged to see," These poems are poised and self-contained, humming with an internal logic and an external music that soothes and disturbs by turns. They are dense and lush, yet offer the reader uncluttered clarity. Rich with a physicality through which the spirit is revealed, these poems feint from fruits and flowers to family history, including the poet's own in utero, never far from the music of New Orleans street names or the interior puzzles of language. Shades and scents abound, "a sustainable stain of memory," in these wary psalms to the healing properties of the physical world, as well as the uses and misuses of love. -Gina Ferrara"Gina Ferrara's work captures the heart and soul of Louisiana," said First Lady Sharon Landry. "Through her poetry, she celebrates our communities, our stories, and our culture in a way that is both heartfelt and profound. I know her tenure as Poet Laureate will inspire countless Louisianans to discover and embrace their own creative voices."