As a conservationist, Dirk Ruff sees the natural world as a solution for many of the intangible struggles we face today. The poems in Among the Branches were written to pivot the spotlight outside of traditional cures for what ails the modern world. He asks about what it means to be human, the existential thoughts we manifest, and how the world outside electronic lights and market shares can offer up a solution. Dirk's poems show us through what we feel, both tactile and emotionally, that while we participate in the information age, sometimes what we need is small moments in remote places.