To Decorate A Casket : Finishing Line Press : 9781646625024 : 1646625021 : 04 Jun 2021 : "I look for hidden meanings in incidental moments, poet Bill Ratner says in "Try My Luck," one of many intriguing poems in To Decorate A Casket. These highly original poems stir things up-a wild concoction of exploration, confession, and surreal fantasy, each topped with a soupçon of wry wit. Whether mourning the early demise of his beloved parents and older brother, or riffing on being the one left behind to come of age on his own, Ratner's poems find life's humor and sweetness. They kick off their shoes and dance with Death." -Alexis Rhone Fancher, author of Junkie Wife, Poetry editor of Cultural Weekly "Reading these poems, one can't help wondering if Ratner is a storyteller at heart who's found the form of the poem to convey the snapshots and short tales of his life, or if he's a poet who, like Homer, poured his dactyls into the epics of his time. Like a good storyteller, Ratner sidles u