RAPHAEL BLOCK is the author of several books of poetry, including Spangling Darkness and most recently, Strings of Shining Silence: Earth Love Poems. His work speaks to Earth’s call for a heartfelt response to our ecological crisis. Born on a kibbutz, Raphael spent his boyhood playing on the hills of Haifa. His family later returned to London, where learning British English shaped his ear for sound. He currently lives and writes in Northern California.