In the tradition of great narrative poetry comes Robert Cooperman's latest collection, a tale ripped from today's headlines but as timeless as Homer's long suffering warriors and Milton's war between good and evil. This tale of the "real" Old West is told in poetry that is at once elegant yet accessible. Cooperman peppers his plain-spoken story with vivid and unforgettable characters: the murderous knight-errant, John Sprockett; the weak-willed man of the cloth, Rev. Thomas Burden; the capricious soiled dove, Mary LaFrance; the venal Sheriff Dennehy; and the tracker William Eagle Feather. The most vivid character is Lavinia Burden, who is torn between the conventions of civilization, and her love of the wilderness and the man who embodies all its savage beauty. Open this book and you'll never think about the Old West in the same way again. Prepare yourself for a tale of treachery, tenderness, betrayal, fidelity, hypocrisy, and a love that transcends conventions, time and death itself. The Widow's Burden is the second volume of Robert Cooperman's poetry to be published by Western Reflections Publishing Company. His first, In the Colorado Gold Fever Mountains, won the prestigious 2000 Colorado Book Award for poetry. Cooperman also has written In the Household of Percy Bysshe Shelley, published by the University of Central Florida Contemporary Poetry Series and nominated for several awards. His latest chapbook, Greatest Hits, was just released by pudding House Press. Illustrator, Michael Welply was born in England and trained in France. He is the prizewinning illustrator of The magic Toyshop and has contributed to over fifty other books.