Don Moore grew up in Washington, D.C. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1966 and then worked as an insurance actuary and commodities trader in the Chicago area after his military service in Vietnam. With a lifelong interest in nature, history, literature, and the arts, he took up residence in New Orleans, accompanied by his wife Cathy, to immerse himself in the area's culture. Later, they moved to Lexington, Kentucky, to absorb the thoroughbred racing environment sustained in the surrounding scenic farmland. The Bluegrass area became his final home in February, 2019. Don's first book of poetry, The Ballad of Ned Kelly and Lyrics from the Rustic Lyre, was published in 1973. His second manuscript, Rubaiyat from a Floating Life, published posthumously, honors Omar Khayyam. Demonstrating his mastery of various poetic mediums, Don produced sonnets in the style that celebrates William Shakespeare in this volume, Sonnets from a Floating Life.