Publisher Marketing: This gripping suite of twelve dreams, infused with the conflict along the border of Mexico and the United States, traces humanity's addiction to violence and killing--from boys stepping on ants to men shooting animals, men shooting women, men shooting enemies. The Dreams begin in a desert landscape where poverty and wealth grate against each other, and the ever present war becomes "as invisible as the desert sands we trample on." The dreams, however, move toward a greater peace with Sáenz providing an unforgettable reading experience.
From "The Fourth Dream: Families and Flags and Revenge"
I don't believe a flag
is important
enough to kiss--
or even burn.
Some men would hate me
enough to kill me
if they read these words.
"Rage," Sáenz said in an interview, "must be a component of any writer's life. But this rage must also be contained--otherwise our very bodies will become chaos--our minds will become chaos. We need order." Sáenz finds that order in poems, transforming his rage into something "more beautiful and gracious and forgiving."
