These poems trace the arc of a woman emerging from the darkness of patriarchy and discovering the daylight shed by Kwan Yin, St. Brigid and the winged Medusa, as well as by women friends who also help her walk the distance for water, the archetypal element of Medusa. The collection is divided into four sections. From an appraisal of her spiritual discomfort it carries her, through encounters with art and through self-discovery in unfamiliar places, to the last section, which focuses on her guides and their role in moving the woman's consciousness toward joy and freedom as she continues walking into daylight. The collection includes translations by the poet of five French and German poems.