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Piercy's newest collection of poems rings changes on the themes of coming to terms with oneself, forgiving one's parents, growing into love. She confronts her ambivalence toward her father in an aching, courageous eulogy. Rediscovering her Jewish identity, she seeks ways to reconcile religion with her embrace of the ancient earth goddess. Her feminist consciousness also informs meditations on a diamond ring, menopause, making love, her Detroit adolescence and our society's worship of youthfulness. The poet's voice projects a fierce strength born of gentleness. In occasional pieces she laments modern annoyances like answering machines and extols random country pleasures. Her overarching concern is keeping her balance as a woman and a writer in a polarized world full of yuppies and junkies, male rulers and working mothers. (March)