History
In 1977 I started writing poetry. Not by choice, as explained on this page. At that time I kept each hand-written poem, in blue ink on college rule paper (a requirement) in a folder. That proved a little messy, prone to falling out, and a great way to age paper.
In February of 1985, for those and whatever other reasons, I copied them (by hand) over to a spiral bound notebook. Apparently thinking this a momentous occasion, I penned Opening thoughts as a sort of introduction for that volume. It is a line from that poem that eventually became the title for the notebook, and has remained the title of the collection to this day.
In May of 1986, since I had access to both a computer and a laser printer, I typed everything into Word Perfect and created a proper soft-bound book. A few more pieces were added to that book over the next several months. I was inspired in part by the process of putting my collection into book form, as well as feeling the need yet again to write. After that, the book remained dormant throughout the 1990s and most of the 2000s.
It's not that I didn't write during that period. I did, but not often. There were reasons why I didn't write - busy raising kids, too tired and too lazy, immersed in mastering the computer field, life, etc. I did write some; however, there were circumstances - technical glitches (aka, the modern version of "the dog at my homework") plus some human craziness beyond my control - that resulted in none of it being preserved. The electronic copy of the original book was also lost. (Did I mention the craziness?)
Thanks to a recent spate of "I must write" convulsions, I have yet again (this time with the help of a scanner and OCR software) copied everything to a new format - this site - and have added my more recent ramblings. This is not only easier to maintain, but also makes it easier to archive and to share. Not that I think most people give a hoot about what I write, but I have had a few requests and this site is here to satisfy them.
October 16, 2011
NOTE: The following is from the May 1986 book.
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to my family for their love and support; and to Joyce Dick, one of my high school English teachers, who encouraged me to pursue the development of my writing.
To the Reader:
The purpose of this volume is not to seek or fame or fortune. Indeed, I imagine that in my lifetime very few, if any, shall be so priviledged (or cursed, as the case may be) as to discover it's content. Nonetheless, I have decided to place my works in this book so that, for now, I may know where to find them, and, for later, they may be found altogether so they may be more easily preserved or destroyed according to the wishes of the finder.
Such is the fate of the works of men, that they be bound up together so they may be preserved for the edification of succeeding generations, or destroyed to preserve the succeeding generation from the preceeding's lack of the same. Or perhaps it is all in the interest of conservation; of paper, of ink, of libaray space...
Whatever the case, I have established this book as the resting place, however final, of my literary endeavors. Long may they live or may they rest in peace, according to the wishes of the finder of this volume.
