There is a gamut to be run with this collection of poems, a challenge with a few sharp turns and switchbacks. From the playful treatment of the Big Bang and other scientific theories, to the often poignant readouts of the human condition. From two Chihuahuas running free, to the aged writer Trapped in the dusty garret of his mind. There are intrusions into the mind of the poet as well as that of the long distance runner. There is the brutality of the Jackals on the Corner and the tenderness of A 93rd Christmas Eve.

From the rhetorical flourishes of The Orator, to the madness of The Last...

At the age of thirty-three, Bill Mason is a popular fishing guide in Key West. Though successful, his journey had not been easy. He was orphaned at the age of eight; at fourteen he was a runaway, making his own way in the world. In Key West he found his calling on the fishing boats. He also found a love-his wife, Beth.

Edgar Stanky has just retired. Reflecting on his forty-year career in business, he wonders if he has always lived the right life for him. Intent on making the most of retirement, Edgar and his wife Ariel, move to Key West where they find an exciting new life-and, where they...

Legend has it, within the Ancient Order of Doubters, that before the advent of time and space a mighty voice thundered across the void, proclaiming, "Forthwith the plan," then, declared again with greater force, "Forthwith the plan." Alas, there was no entity to respond, no ear to record, no mind to comprehend--only stillness.

Thus, this fanciful opening sets the stage for this poetry collection. The free verse offerings cover a range of themes--the imaginative treatment of the Big Bang ("Then Came the Explosion"), phenomenon of mass shootings ("It's All About the Count"), World War...