After the Blast

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 II heroism ("Waitin’ My Turn"), the horror of war in Syria ("Omran Daqneesh of Aleppo"), childhood memories ("That Stream and Catfish Charley"), coming of age ("Sixteenth Birthday—1951"), parody of a classic poem ("The Listeners, With a Twist"), social media shenanigans ("A Day in the Life of a Troll"), the concluding poem questioning man’s fate ("So Here We Are"), and dozens of others.