Innovative and energetic, this is Alben's first collection. There are surprises at the turn of every line. Intensely visual, erotically charged and linguistically adventurous, her poems explore love and life with deft humour and poise. Belonging is difficult but the impulse to connect remains as powerful as ever.

Country / 14, The View / 18, One Moon-shaped Cake / 19, Tongue and Groove / 20, Why / 21, Industrial Technologist / 22, Ai! Ai! Pianissimo / 23, The Post Box / 24, Parakeet Park / 25, The Window / 26 Stretto / 28, The Empty Bath / 29, Skimming Stones / 30, Paul Celan Act IV Scene III / 32, Last of the Snow / 33, We dug the tunnel; B hid the soil / 34, The Tent / 36, Take-away Heart / 37, Fianchetto / 38, Drawing in Ink / 40, A Message on her Machine / 41, Bucking Bronco / 42, Thursday's News / 43, Palmistry / 44, Lepidopterist / 45, The Light Switch / 46, simon says / 48, Stuffing for Being / 49, What had made her laugh out loud / 50, Memory of Childhood / 51, And as I'm being down here on my knees anyway, dear god / 52, Mental or Rental / 54, Scene III / 55, Where They Choose to Meet / 56, [The fruit having] a groove down one side / 58, Oh! L'eau est claire / 59, Particulars She Exhibits / 60, 'The tickets to the places - ' / 61, once more / 62, To the Highest Bidder / 63, Thank you, and please remain seated until the fasten your seatbelt sign has been switched off / 64, Biographical note / 69