Sometimes poetry can be better appreciated in context, by knowing where the author’s head is at or what his or her vision was when the poem was written. I’ll attempt to provide that context here.
Ode to a Dog
Ode to a Dog doesn’t really. need much interpretation. It is simply an expression of my love for dogs and a statement about how terribly undeserving we are for this wonderful gift of love and companionship.
Widower’s Journey
“The Widower’s Journey is my humble attempt to express the grief that I navigate through each day over the loss of my wife and life partner of 56 years. While her suffering is over for which I am eternally grateful, her loss has changed my life in subtle ways that are difficult to express. I continue to live out this poem each day.
The Lambs of War
“The Lambs of War” was inspired by a recent news report I watched recently describing the horrendous loss of the lives of innocent children caught up in the war between Israel and Hamas in the city of Gaza. Some of the pictures of little children, battered, filthy, and bleeding lying in the rubble of damaged buildings tore at my heart and sickened me. My poem is a plea for God to bring an end to this.
On a Desolate Island Shore
“On a Desolate Island Shore” is a poem describing the kindness of a lonely recluse in a time after the first world war. On a stormy cold morning, on a lonely shore somewhere in the Hebrides or Shetlands (use your imagination). An aging man opens his door to a shipwrecked stranger and embarks upon a lifetime journey.
The Tragedy of a Broken Mind
In the Tragedy of a Broken Mind I hope to share a short insight into the heartbreak of Alzheimer’s Disease. As a caregiver this poem is deeply personal for me. Perhaps someday there may be a cure for this horrible affliction. In August of 2024 my precious wife succumbed to the ravages of Alzheimer’s.
The Tyrant
This is a commentary on the brutal and senseless attack by Vladimir Putin’s Russia on the nation of Ukraine. The war rages on, even as I write this. I find it appalling that the world watches as this plays out to its horrible conclusion. I am ashamed that our Chief Executive. now seems to side with the Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin.
America
This poem is a commentary on a civil culture in America that I believe has taken a wrong turn. It is my belief that we have forgotten the foundations of compassion, integrity, diversity, and honor that have made the United States of America a truly great nation. It is a reminder that we should embrace the greatness that we can once again be.
The Final Curtain
There is a certain stoic wisdom that only comes to us in the final years of our lives. While this poem may seem a little dark on the surface, it is really a message of hope. Unlike the crow, we are created in God’s image. We have souls and we can stand in the face of death and proclaim “My life has mattered!” We cannot change our yesterdays but with God’s mercy and grace we have hope and assurance in His promises.
Enchanting Works of Mortar and Stone
This is a narrative about the futility of seeking comfort and healing by looking to the sometimes beguiling beauty of angelic statues, carved cherubs, and mysterious memorials created by human hand. They are pleasing to the eye but are after all nothing but marble and stone. The poem reminds us that God is angered when we look for peace and solace from these “idols” instead of laying our troubles at His feet.
When Lady Liberty Spoke
I wrote this poem on the 4th of July 2018. It is a metaphor with Lady Liberty speaking out against an increasingly exclusionist America that views poor and oppressed refugees as unwanted and a threat to America’s security. Lady Liberty speaks out against the lost spirit of America.
The Angry Man
Although the gender stated in this poem is a man, it should be understood to point to mankind. The poem speaks equally, to men and women.
The Angry Man is a narrative on the pseudo-religious conservative today than stands in pride and false righteousness but has no compassion for the poor, the oppressed and ethnic minorities who struggle just to get by. It asks the question, “in the end, who will mourn for the angry man?” The poem reminds us that only God can heal a corrupt heart, and the reality is that only God will mourn for the angry man.
The Village
The village in this poem is a metaphor for a haven where children are nurtured and people can feel safe and loved. Fundamentally, this poem is a reflection by people of faith who know they must trust in God yet cry out in despair when God seems silent as His faithful suffer and die. The poem was inspired by the tragic events at First Baptist Church Sutherland Texas and Emanuel AME church in Charleston S.C.
The Journey Home
In this poem, I have tried to capture the toll that despair and horror take on the lives of our young soldiers, marines and Navy Seal combatants. Faith in God plays a huge role in overcoming PTSD and giving hope where hope often seems impossible.
Silver Years
This is a poem that may remind elderly men and women of the futility in looking back with regret over their lives by understanding that in the end, it is only God’s promises that we can really trust. He wipes away those tears of regret and offers us hope.
Defining a King
A poetic reflection on the greatness and weakness of Israel’s most championed King. In the conclusion it is not David’s bravery or skilled leadership that made him great, but what was above all else in his heart – an unyielding love and faith in God.
The Journey
The journey is an old man’s sad reflection on the cycle of life from the womb through adolescence to early adulthood and finally to the last days. It is a reminder of what is important…what have we given…what will we be remembered for.
Midsummer Days
Midsummer Days is a quiet and nostalgic reflection on the idyllic days of my youth growing up in a small midwestern town in Southeastern Michigan along the St Clair River. Those were simple times when the world seemed far less complex.
The Hare and the Snare
A child’s fable with a dark twist at the end…Sorry but I love Rabbit Stew.
A White Raven
A White Raven explores the question, if God were to send a supernatural harbinger to clearly warn a man of his impending doom, would he repent, would he change his direction, or would he do what most men and women today do in response to a phenomenon they cannot fathom. They rationalize it away.
Behold Eden
Behold Eden is a poetic narrative that contrasts the beauty of the Garden of Eden in the Creation Story with the corrupt and polluted world we have created today. It is a commentary on man’s failure as stewards of the world God has given us dominion over. The poem ends with a promise that we can return to Eden through the redemptive work of Christ.
Autumn Trees
Autumn Trees is a reflection on the end of life that we all one day face. It challenges us to ask “will I be ready for that day?” The poem is a narrative of an old man whose memory is failing and days are filled with pain but as he reflects on his life he has no regrets. He walks among the “Autumn Trees” with assurance in his faith. “Things unseen and hoped for” comes from Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Vision in the Mist
Vision in the mist is a poem that warns of the folly of trusting in a person’s good deeds at the time of judgment. It is a poetic narrative that borrows on the imagery of the horsemen of the Apocalypse as it relates a vision of a man’s judgment at the end of his days.
Memories Linger in a Rising Mist
This is perhaps my favorite of all my poems. As you visit this lonely place in an evening mist you feel its story. A story 200 years old of a soldier returning from war who marries a young bride. The ruins of an old stone church stand as a testimony to the life they lived together. It is a love story into eternity as the soldier and bride are buried side by side in the crumbling ruins of a graveside choked in weeds and neglect. We are reminded that things earthly are perishable but love is eternal.
The Price
The Price is a narrative on how war changes us irrevocably. Men and women coming home from war are changed forever. There is an innocence lost and they really never can come home. Many pay the ultimate price. More than a narrative, this poem is a tribute to honor those who have sacrificed so much.
The Old Stone Inn
The Old Stone Inn was a nostalgic reflection of my years spent in Wales. It was a beautiful place and wonderful people. The Old Stone Inn was a picture…a snapshot in time of memorable and happy days…the inn an allegory of a warm and secure place…a mosaic of many real seaside village inns that dot the coastline of Wales.
The Last Stand
The Last Stand is a poetic rendition of a biblical account in Genesis chapter 32. Jacob’s life is a mess. He has cheated his brother Esau out of his inheritance and deceived his father Isaac. He wrestles an Angel of the Lord all through the night but in the larger context, he is wrestling with God himself. Read the scripture in Genesis 32 and the poem will be much more meaningful. I love the bible and some of the greatest of all poetry is found within its pages.
War
My motives in writing this poem were not as some might wrongly conclude political. I am not a “peacenik” and I fully appreciate that war is sometimes necessary. I gave 22 years of my life to defending our country. I wrote this poem in a moment of reflection where I was saddened at the futility of war and frustrated at the thoughtless indifference to it I see in the attitudes of so many people today. The message I was trying to convey was that there is no good war. War is violent, ugly and always comes at a terrible cost. Those who perpetuate war are either foolish or truly evil.
Ode to a Lighthouse
Most of my life has been spent on or near the ocean. The idea for this poem was part nostalgia yet largely a plea that we all join to keep those great sentries of the sea alive and part of our culture not just for us today but for future generations.
A Poets World 