“Stephen Sandy writes with the deft authority of classic resource about the vulnerably changing facts of our lives. His is an extraordinarily dear company for whatever time must tell us.” —Robert Creeley

In this powerful collection, Stephen Sandy gathers his most striking poems from five previous books written over thirty-five years and adds memorable new ones to present a brilliant retrospective on his career to date. In a wide array of subjects, Sandy’s distinctive voice resonates as he proves himself to be a master of form, presentation, and passion.

Sandy has lived in some of the world’s great urban centers and captures in these poems essential vibrations of modern and postmodern life. “Are the rats little / Buddhas? Poisoned by the old / lady upstairs they still play.” What emerges in this remarkably diverse compilation is an unforgettable take on American experience that rearranges reality in a singular but truthful and familiar way. We see ourselves through Sandy’s eyes with a fresh understanding. At once sensuous, philosophical, and enlightening, the poems in The Thread lead us to an unaccustomed vision of our lives, the beliefs and enigmas that inform them.