We all know the adage, "a picture is worth a thousand words." But, we might ask, if we are given a thousand words, do we then have a picture? In this literary instance, yes; Akon Metu, published author and poet, frames a remarkable array of life's situations in words that create corresponding vignettes - and, sometimes, as in her poem, "The Splendour of a Thousand Suns", a corresponding silhouette. The Gift of a Thousand Words is shared with readers open-mindedly; Metu, in publishing this compilation, courageously addresses complex issues, most of which people of all kinds, creeds and colours will at some point themselves have to address. In this way, Metu's openness about how she perceives "that way things are", or should be, will be, will undoubtedly be intoned in the minds of many of her readers.