We create fictions--personal and literary--to cope with fear, and it is our choice whether or not these inventions affirm life. This collection presents many ways of "making excuses for the universe," both from a personal standpoint and also by using the voices and visions of created characters. The collection contains a section of family poems and three sets of character poems: Beverly and Nanci, Strange Mary, and Blue Donna. Following each section are two related poems for transition or amplification. The poems show a progressive change in writing techniques, especially experimentation with sound, as well as pursuing the central theme that perception is a desirable goal, well worth the price.