Passwords: Poems

The last book of William Stafford's from Harper is perhaps not the best first book of his to read - but, as one might expect given his maturity, these poems are sparser and even more apparently simple than some of his earlier work. As always with a William Stafford book the poems range over a variety of styles and although the poems are not directly linked, as you read more of Stafford, all his work in a sense forms one whole. Perhaps more than any review it is better to offer the title poem: Passwords A PROGRAM OF POEMSMight people stumble and wanderfor not knowing the right words,and get lost in their wandering?So--should you stand in the streetanswering all passwordsday and night for any stranger?You couldn't do that.But sometimes your words might link especially to some other person.Here is a package,a program of passwords.It is to bring strangers together.