The poetic collection included in Lionfish follows the author's experiences as a traveler in Israel. His journeys include being a volunteer on kibbutzim and Israeli army bases, studying Hebrew in a Jerusalem ulpan, following a child's journey from Ethiopia to Israel, drinking coffee with a Palestinian fisherman on his boat in the port of Jaffa, hiking to the top of Mount Sinai, and having his shorts sewn in an Arab tailor shop.