Balloon Passages

About the Book

Experience and emotion are primary components of life, both cornerstones of existence which form this offering. Each poem’s narrator (persona) presents an event or a thought important to one individual’s life. Initial steps require he molds an identity through family interactions, emotional fluctuations; from bizarre to alarming, from comfortable to appreciative. He also discovers books and nature in an effort to understand himself. How he joins the greater world then inspires him to assess personal maturity, when upper air currents shuffle him. The last phase of existence advances at a different speed, maybe pushes from another direction as he muses about the past, and concerns of age near. A hot air balloon ride is a useful metaphor to demonstrate the vigor of a balloonist who learns what operating a balloon takes, then navigates currents of air and returns safely to the ground. Experience, emotional growth are essential in the elaborate voyage. Enjoy the flight that is this book.

About the Author

Born and raised in that part of northeast Ohio where steel was king, the Mahoning Valley, I learned that imagination was a trusted resource for getting me through washing dishes, scrubbing floors, the usual jobs given a child or a teen. Two events stand out: the first when the family Brownie box camera became mine; the second when fingering a plastic recorder called Flutaphone well enough to render simple tunes without mistake. Visual images wedded musical sounds forming my approach to composing verse. As well, shared experiences were the norm on college campuses. Time spent at Youngstown State (A.B.), Ohio U (M.A.), Indiana U and IUPUI, Columbus (post graduate work) was transformative since so many points-of-view mingled and horizons expanded. That so many people came together for a learning experience amazed me, so I became an English teacher. Calling Columbus, Indiana, home, I helped teens appreciate the complexities of our language, hoping that some would “turn on” to the subject. As well, tasks involving judgment came my way: referee, umpire, jury foreman, speech contest official, etc. The arts became another interest: I acted in many Arts Guild plays and saw other performances and art exhibits in the region. Likewise, reading, traveling, hiking, collecting art, ceramics, music cd’s became hobbies. Like an Oscar Peterson concert, a happening can overwhelm, become memorable. Such was the case during a mid-October snowfall of eight inches, and I decided to express the event in verse. Poetry remained in the classroom, for I had never written anything worthy of publication. Walking a golf course across the street was quite exhilirating, my prints the first on the mostly white landscape. This marked my entry into writing for others, a sharing of life. Thusly, my bio has been brim full of neat sounds, places, events, people,... always the interesting people.