Thomas Reiter's new book of poems demonstrates faith in the ability of the human voice to shape memory--its powers and boundaries, freedoms and limitations--into enduring form. A variety of speakers and locales flourish on these pages, including invented, historical, contemporary, and familial figures, and settings from the New Jersey Pine Barrens to islands of the Caribbean. Their stories form an interplay of impasse and minor epiphany; botanical lore grounds their lives. The language of Powers and Boundaries reflects Reiter's trademark clarity, authenticity of tone and detail, and aptness of expression but also reaches a new level of wit, urgency, and descriptive power.