Poignant, dark, filthy, and/or surreal, the 50 short stories and 50 limericks in Marty Barrett's "Limericks of Loss And Regret" make for reassuring and representative reading material for uncertain times. We meet a cormorant who may or may not influence our fate, a woman who attracts bees, and men who incite dusty climaxes in the center of town. We learn about YMCAs of the flesh and the casinos of Hell. We thrill to the success of a Bob Seger cover band and weep for the wrong version of "Blinded by the Light." Throughout, we are tempted by Chaos and saved at the last moment by a firm but gentle moral code that may have something to do with "Jaws." Most importantly, we learn about the Ringwraiths' laundromat and the cycle of hope, grief, and redemption at the heart of limericks of loss and regret.