Here is a voice of America singing, Mary E. Weems is a poet laureate of Cleveland Heights, but also of Ohio, the Midwest, and America. Her relentless journeys into the truth of experience make her a spokesperson for us all. As Patricia smith says, "In this deftly crafted collection--defiantly rooted in the real world--Mary Weems' stanzas manage to be both tight and explosive, concise and wildly lyrical. She brings an enviable experience to the page, an experience fueled by unerring focus and a knowledge of just what it takes to jolt a reader out of complacency." That Mary sings of Barak Obama here is only a reminder of how clear and full is her awareness. She too finds dreams growing in the streets.