Before he wrote the words youÕre reading, the author looked into his heart at age 84 or so, and realized there was something he hadnÕt done, something he powerfully wanted to do, though he had long virtually ignored it. That thing is this book, mostly written years ago, then hidden in a drawer where it easily eluded publication. He had fallen victim to poetryÕs rock-strewn path to print, blocking what might be the most satisfying thing in his life. HeÕd be no challenge, he thought, to Dylan Thomas or Wordsworth, but wasnÕt he the only person who could set these words free? Yes, so why not give it a try?