One of the enduring joys of seeking to view the world from a poet’s mind is the way in which extraordinary moments unfurl from very ordinary situations or landscapes. Observation, perception and seeking the eternal in the commonplace are central aspects of poet’s mind.

Let me share an example. One winter morning, I was running along an old Civil War road in western Kentucky, in Ohio River watershed country, on which I co-own 25 hilly, wooded acres. To my left sat an ordinary, run-of-the-mill watering pond for horses, maybe 60 feet long and 30 feet wide. A half-dozen dormant baby sycamores rimmed one bank. As I ran past, I glanced over and saw a strange movement. I looked more intently: Two coyotes were sunning themselves on the bank of the pond, in broad daylight.

Coyotes in broad daylight … now there’s something you don’t see everyday, especially in 35-degree weather. I observed for a few more moments, then resumed my run. With each step, I could feel the image driving inside me, opening up my creative cells: Coyotes in Broad Daylight. Coyotes in Broad Daylight. I thought of things that are different than what they appear, tricksters who operate smoothly in this world, people who mask their feelings and intentions …

I thought of another collection of poetry to tie together these themes. Then the poems came tumbling through my fingertips, a few of which I present now. The entire collection comes out in December 2006 through Koboca Publishing.

APPOGGIATURA

MAN ON THE ROAD

MORNING NEWS

RESCUED GIRL

ADDITIONAL POETRY