Still, within his individual and ordinary soul, located in his study, the poet engages with eternity in both a difficult and a delightful, funny way, both with the angels of heaven, and memories of those people who are lost to him forever, all while sailing in his mind around the universe, the world, and the room. In the mundane world and the mundane room of the poet"s home in "The Dead," the poet observes that "The dead are always looking down on us," even while we the living are simply "putting on our shoes or making a sandwich." The dead "are looking down through the glass-bottom boats of heaven/ as they row themselves slowly through eternity." (33).

             Even in our ordinary, sandwich making life, we are still being observed by our loved ones, now far beyond-even if they may be engaged in exciting sight-seeing in the world of eternity, the everyday rooms of our lives are still meaningful to them, and thus they should be meaningful to us, Collins" readers, and meaningful to other readers and writers of poetry. Who knows, perhaps the dead are even perusing a Victoria's Secret catalog with the poet-for even this act is worthy of his poetic consideration, so long as it is done with awareness! (109).

             This is also why every day, according to Collins, is such "a gift," of that there is "no doubt," a day "mysteriously placed in your waking hand/ or set upon your forehead/ moments before you open your eyes" (57). Even angels are seen in Collins" estimation, not as beings sitting at the hand of God on high, aloft and above in their highfalutin abilities and concerns from mere poets and other mortals-rather angels are also concerned about their own dwellings, about their own rooms and places. .

             Collins envisions angels dreaming and crafting their own visions and dreams as humans do, "swing[ing] like children from the hinges" of a heavenly door, or amusing themselves with their own wordplay like the poet in their "spirit world" by saying their "names backwards and forwards" or sitting alone like the author, and using their minds in their own rooms and gardens to change the colors of their wings.