Free verse – Page 9 – A Wandering Minstrel

2 AM

I’d say most of my poems are finished within a week or two of starting them. I usually have several I’m working on at a time. Creativity is like a shark: it’s best if it keeps moving. So if I’m stuck on one poem, I can work on another and keep moving! Then there areContinueContinue reading “2 AM”

The Panther (Ogden Nash)

I’ve mentioned before that I enjoy light verse because a dash of humor brings perspective. At some point in our marriage (probably the first decade), my wife introduced me to Ogden Nash, and he has remained a favorite author of light verse. Light verse has found its way into all of my books, most recentlyContinueContinue reading “The Panther (Ogden Nash)”

Honesty Is a Dog

Last week, I announced the release of my cat chapbook, Cat Show, which is available on Amazon. To continue celebrating its release, I’m sharing…a dog poem 😆 “Honesty Is a Dog” is a new poem and will come out in my fourth book, The Anonymity of Waiting, which I plan to self-publish in 2024. HonestyContinueContinue reading “Honesty Is a Dog”

Cat Show Now Available!

As I type this, my cat Nilli is circling and fussing at me. Does she sense that my chapbook about cats, Cat Show, is now available on Amazon? Heck no. She’s reminding me that no one has set out her lunch, and she’s starving, possibly (probably) near death. OK, I’ve fed her. Now I canContinueContinue reading “Cat Show Now Available!”

Babies Are for Locking Up

Back in September, I was poised to release a chapbook of cat poems. However, I had to delay the release because I inadvertently submitted one of the cat poems to a journal. Well, the journal declined to publish any of my poems, so I’ll be releasing the cat chapbook soon. I just need to doContinueContinue reading “Babies Are for Locking Up”

Nothing to Sneeze At

I’m about half-way to finishing my fourth book, The Anonymity of Waiting, which I plan to self-publish in 2024. Below is a poem about something that goes through my mind from time to time when people sneeze. (Yes, there is philosophy even in a sneeze 😆). Because of its timelessness, wisdom is often mistaken asContinueContinue reading “Nothing to Sneeze At”

At the Old Mission

My in-laws used to live in North Dakota. On our way to visit a couple times, we stopped at Old Mission State Park in Cataldo, Idaho. The mission (which was founded by Jesuits in the early 1850s) sits atop a beautiful, grassy hill. As a Christian, it is a testament to the sacrifices God’s peopleContinueContinue reading “At the Old Mission”

Driving through the Fog

There’s a bit of the Romantic in me, so I’ve always loved fog. For me, it conjures a sense of mystery (bordering on the supernatural), solitude (my favorite!), and introspection. Below is a poem from my first book, The Wind and the Shadows. On one level, it’s a poem about driving on a foggy day.ContinueContinue reading “Driving through the Fog”

Visionaries

In my neck of the woods, we are staggering towards fall. High temps lurch between the upper 80s and mid 70s but the lows are in the 40s. A few leaves have already fallen. “Visionaries” is a poem I wrote in the early ‘90s. It isn’t in any of my self-published books, but it isContinueContinue reading “Visionaries”

Not a Car

Recently, I mentioned I started setting up my cat chapbook for publication. It is pretty much ready to go but I made the decision to delay its release. Why? Without thinking, I submitted one of my cat poems to a journal. When I started sending poems to journals, I learned quickly that most won’t publishContinueContinue reading “Not a Car”