"The river wraps itself like time around us."This newest collection of poems by author Kenneth Ray is defined by currents and drifts similar to those of the historic Detroit River near which he's made his lifelong home. Nature's powerful ebb and flow inspire him to passionate expressions of life's greatest existential themes: love and heartbreak, joy and sorrow, triumph and defeat. Is it wise to stand ground and do battle, or to withdraw and allow time and its currents to wrap around the soul?Other poems, like "Ode to a Small Owl," "Reflections on Trout Fishing," and "The Natalie Chronicles" celebrate the simple but universal pleasures in the life of a naturalist and a loving father and family man, whereas the trilogy "Dear Hart" is a witty tribute to man's most primal quest: the annual autumn hunt for deer. Whether navigating big river currents or shoveling out from staggering drifts of snow, he has found one thing certain: The elements ask much of a person and require one to dig deep in order to survive. This is Kenneth Ray's second book of poetry, following his collection entitled, "North Winds." He is a lifetime Michigan resident with degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He makes his home "Down River," close to several generations of his large extended family. In addition to writing, he works in Michigan's Department of Natural Resources and is an avid hunter, fisherman, canoeist, outdoorsman, and conservationist.