Poetic cycles that speak to journey and meditation are at the heart of Meena Alexander’s latest collection, Atmospheric Embroidery. Metaphors of crossing borders, oceans, and war zones-the power within the journey-give depth to lyrical snapshots and narratives of Bombay and Bollywood, and war-torn stories through the eyes of children. These poems sing the blues of the Indian Ocean, wash up on the ports of Sudan, and scatter the streets of New York City.

Where does your story begin? This keepsake collection embroiders a poet’s journey, a travel through worlds So landscape becomes us, / Also an interior space bristling with light. Atmospheric Embroidery expresses an art of repose and reflection on ourselves and connections beyond our borders.