Bottle of Life

Truth Thomas'' second collection ''Bottle of Life'' is an oeuvre of multiple layers that straddles the immense cavern of human experience. Awash with startling imagery and word play, it chronicles childhood memories in Washington DC with as much verve as it explores the motivations for America''s involvement in Afghanistan; it draws our eyes to accidents on the street and the common bend in our backs when we are fishing. And then there is music; Marvin Gaye, Celia Cruz and Michael Jackson break lines across the pages as families break bread in communion. At its core, ''Bottle of Life'' is celebration of the sanctity and fragility of life and reaffirms Thomas'' arrival as a major new voice in American poetry - a very necessary one.