"Ocean Vuong's second collection of poetry looks inward, on the aftershocks of his mother's death, and the struggle - and rewards - of staying present in the world. Time Is a Mother moves outward and onward, in concert with the themes of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, as Vuong continues, through his work, his profound exploration of personal trauma, of what it means to be the product of an American war in America, and how to circle these fragmented tragedies to find not a restoration, but the epicenter of the break"-- Provided by publisher.

The bull -- Snow theory -- Dear Peter -- Skinny dipping -- Beautiful short loser -- Old glory -- You guys -- Dear Sara -- American legend -- The last dinosaur -- Rise & shine -- The last prom queen in Antarctica -- Dear T -- Waterline -- Not even -- Amazon history of a former nail salon worker -- Nothing -- Scavengers -- Künstlerroman -- Reasons for staying -- Ars Poetica as the maker -- Toy boat -- The punctum -- Tell me something good -- No one knows the way to Heaven -- Amost human -- Dear Rose -- Woodworking at the end of the world.