If you've ever said to yourself, "I just don't get poetry," then you probably haven't read John Sheirer's poems. The poems in Saying My Name are brief, accessible, often funny, always poignant, never trite or shallow. These poems focus on the treasures of everyday life: growing up, growing older, family connections, love, longing, lust, friendship, work, nature, death, self-discovery, driving, humor, insomnia, sports, pets, and the act of writing itself. Whether his tone is humorous or serious, his form lyric, narrative, or adaptations of haiku, senryu, or tanka -- Sheirer's poems never fail to connect. For the first time, the best of this award-winning poet's work is gathered in one substantial collection.