Spat : Finishing Line Press : 9781646624911 : 1646624912 : 14 May 2021 : In Spat, Lois Marie Harrod examines-head-on, upside down and sideways-the little fractures that haunt our intimate relationships. Intentional or no, sometimes mysterious in nature, they lead as often to bafflement as repair. "Well, says my therapist friend/the danger comes/when you start talking..." And also to what glues us together, as in. "...a rabbit leaps/between your legs, /and you feel his fur/brush your calves/and I imagine/I feel it too." Harrod is the keenest of observers-smart, wry, empathic and generous. These poems open windows, allowing us to eavesdrop on the bleating heart. -Juditha Dowd, author of Audubon's Sparrow and Mango in Winter. Who but Lois Marie Harrod would name a book Spat? Although the husband neglects to carry his glass to the sink, he remains "the guest of her heart." Whether about doorknobs, language, or the heart, these poems exhibit Harrod's unique combination of passion and