An anthology of poems for young adults that, in the words of compiler Liz Rosenberg, “gather light--either literally or figuratively.” Opening with words to “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” an African American spiritual that speaks of freedom and references the light of the stars, the poems move back and forth across continents and centuries. Many of them are challenging, but a thematic anthology always provides readers with a starting point for understanding why a poem was chosen for inclusion. Rosenberg’s introduction gives added insights. Her selections range from Robert Frost’s “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” to Christina Rossetti’s “Hurt No Living Thing” to Angelina Grimkés “The Black Finger” and many others. It is a rich and varied collection and includes a biographical sketch of each of the poets. (Age 13 and older)

An anthology of poems that heal, offer hope, and inspire.

"She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes."
--Lord Byron

Here is a collection of beauty, inspiration and light. Liz Rosenberg has gathered poems of sunlight and starry skies, of light flickering in a dark and difficult world. Where light literally shines in one poem, in another it may be represented more figuratively: light in the deepest of loves, a smooth pebble found in a pocket, and even, in the greatest despair, as in Shelley's great line, "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? " Whether about hope, beauty, comfort or healing, this collection is filled with poems of light.

Like Rosenberg's award-winning Earth-Shattering Poems, this multicultural anthology features poems by authors from around the world and from ancient to contemporary times. Some of the poets included are Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Jane Kenyon, Rainer Maria Rilke, Christina Rossetti, Rumi, and Ruth Stone.