5What lies behind much of the lyric poems in Where the Lighthouse Begins is a motivating sense of loss: in some poems, a dead father, an aging mother, a troubled brother; or, in other poems, a conflict, such as a war. The natural world also plays a major role, as a redeeming force, often in the form of the birds that are so much a part of the poet's life. Sometimes, too, humor is present as a source of relief. By the end of the book, readers may feel that the mystery of time is perhaps the most fundamental theme.