"What Captures the Mind" is my 75th book of poetry and 98th book of various genre. There are one (100) classical poems of love and romance, wit and wisdom, humor and comedy, advice and dissent, patriotism, social criticism, inspiration, history, and mystery. Forty-five (45) of my poems have been published by the prestigious Society of Classical Poets of which I am a member. You may read them all by going to their website, clicking on the Member button, clicking on my name in blue and it will take you there. An additional twenty (20) were published under the Ukraine invasion invitation for poetry, five (5) for a St. Patrick's Day invitation and three (3) more are scheduled for publication making a total of sixty-four (64) poems. With this edition, my total poetry count is now 4,910. That may seem prolific, and you may be correct; however, Edgar A. Guest published over 11,000 poems in the English language, most of them daily in a column with the Detroit Free Press.
In previous volumes I asserted that I am the equivalent of a "people's poet," much like Edgar Alan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Edgar A. Guest. That is because my average poem does not use stilted phrases and obscure words, but leans on those words and phrases used by the masses; because my subjects often are common place; and because my sensitivities can relate to the average individual.
You will find many poems, however, that approach the esoteric, use obscure phraseology or words, and appeal only to the higher class of intellectual. I pride myself on being able to perform at every level of society with challenging and interesting poetry for them. When you read my detailed biography at the end, you will understand how I am able to operate either as a farmer or janitor and then as an elite politician, stateman, and university professor.
Personally, I am an Award-Winning Singer and retired LTC, US Army, Military Intelligence and Russian Foreign Area Officer. I was the first US Foreign Commercial Officer in the Russian Far East and IBM Regional Manager in the same location. As one of the most educated men in America with 200 post-graduate hours and 3 Master's Degrees. I make no apologies for my logic and views on any subject you wish to name unless it is esoteric science.
