Like the mockingbird, poet Stephen B. Wiley tells of what he has learned in a full and generous life. His "repertoire" is wide and varied - inspired by the places and people he has loved, the small pleasures of nature, the joys and sorrows that visit us all and the stories of those he has met along the way in a life that has spanned more than three-quarters of a century.

As he did in Hero Island, his first acclaimed collection of poems, Wiley shows us the world we live in and the simple acts of living with a fresh and observant eye. Come with him to watch the circles that ripple on Foote's Pond or gaze in awe at the cherry tree, as magnificent as a Botticelli, when it comes into full bloom. Or share his bemusement as he contemplates the design and functioning of his elbows.

Listen as he remembers and talks of time and what it is has wrought: the grandsons who are now taller than he is, the passing of those who were dearly loved.

To these human experiences, Wiley brings his own perceptions and sensibility.

Like the mockingbird, he remembers well what he has learned and returns it to us with grace and beauty.