Reflections of the Heart: A Collection of Poems

By Dewell H. Byrd

Reflections of the Heart is the author's view of...

The Wonder And Beauty Of Familiar Things. Love, life, nature and folklore are examined in a variety of poetic venues which bring the reader closer to enjoyment of the everyday aspects of his/her own life.

Dewell's First book Moments in Time, 2004, sold out in three months.

His poetry has recently been published in,
Prairiee Schooner
Mid- American Review
California Quarterly
The Aurorean
Tiger's Eye
North American Review
POETALK
Re)verb
Welcome Home
Rattlesnake Review
The Courier
Lucidity
Passenger
Mountaiin Voices
Golden Words

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Feb 13, 2007
• ISBN: 9781425195649

Dewell H. Byrd

Dewell H. Byrd is a retired school administrator living with his wife Elsa on California's beautiful north coast among magnificent redwood trees. Family, love garden, nature and history are his favorite poetic subjects. Dewell is a consummate storyteller and people watcher. His poetry often captures common, everyday people in unusual moments.

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© Copyright 2006 Dewell H. Byrd

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author except by a reviewer who may wish to quote brief passages in connection with a review for a newspaper or magazine.

Note for Librarians: A cataloguing record for this book is available from Library and Archives Canada at www.collectionscanada.ca/amicus/index-e.html

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Contents

FORWARD

Part I

WINTER INTO SPRING

WALK WITH ME

ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON

SING WITH ME

GOOD NIGHT

MY LOVE

LOVING

POEM FOR YOU

SUMMER FINALE

REUNION…

MOON SHADOW

RAINBOW CURVE

LOVE SONG

REJOICE

ECHOES

MIRACLE OF LOVE

ROSE

COME CLOSER, GO AWAY

VIAGRA, SIDE EFFECTS

SOUNDS OF YOU

LOVE LETTERS AND BLUE PAINT

I COME TO YOU

ALMOST

SMALL WONDER

CRADLE ME

SOPHOMORE

DOUBLE LATTE

SEPARATION

IF YOUR PHONE IS NOT RINGING…

MAGNOLIAS AND MEMORIES

INVITATION

REFLECTIONS OF THE HEART

Part II

ORDINARY MIRACLES

WILLOW CHILD

CHILD OF MINE

MORNING WALK

GOURMET

NEW FENCE

MORNING

KINDERGARTEN

NEW SHOPPER

BEGGING MISS EMILY’S PARDON

ERIC, MY SON

(on Father’s Day)

CHOCOLATE

(for Emily & Katie Byrd

Chocolate

Chocolate

CHOCOLATE

CHOCOLATE!!

THE TAMING

HELLO AGAIN

PTA MEETING

YESTERDAY’S SHADOW

KITCHEN FLOOR

BAD MAKE-UP DAY

TRIPLE BY-PASS

RELATIVITY AT 100

TREADMILL

HOURGLASS

ODE TO MY POCKET COMB

SILVER SHADOW

GRANDPA’S CHAIR

WILL KINNEY

MEMORIAL

THE URN

SLEEP

IS THERE NO CURFEW

FOR THE MUSE?

WRITING A POEM

SUMMER CAME

IRONY

THE CYCLE

ROSEBUDS

BROKEN WING

IN RETROSPECT

BEDIGHT

LEGACY

SINGING BIRD

DAVID

ASHES AND DREAMS

PASSAGE

letting go

THE VISIT

MEMORIES IN MARBLE

SILENT SONG

Part III

SPRING MORNING

IN GREEN PASTURES

OLD MOON

TWILIGHT ON THE BAY

DREAMING INTO SPRING

NIGHT HERON

THE EDGE

PICNIC AT TABLE BLUFF

SONGS OF SPRING

SOLITUDE

HOOVER

PHANTOM CAT

HAIKU LIFELINE

AWAKEN

HAIKU

INTO THE DAY

EYE, KOI (#2)

dine

YOUNG FALCON RISING

FLEDGLING PELICAN

PRUNING ROSE BUSHES

BURIED TREASURE

POTATOES

CROW TIME

HUMMINGBIRD

PAINT THE WIND

DUCHESS

PRAYER

THE WIYOT

Part IV

THEY WAS A TIME …

OLD SPIRIT RISING

DOWN

CHITWOOD

STAND-OFF AT HARVEST

GRANDMA

GRANPA WAS A THUMPER

ON THE ROAD

SPIRIT RIVER

JOHNNY FAGAN’S FARM

OUACHITA GAL

THE VISITATION (1890)

PARTNER

TANGLE BLUE LAKE

TANGLE BLUE TROUT

HUSH-A-BYE

UNDER GRANDMA’S

FRONT PORCH

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

ABE

SQUIRREL HUNTIN’

NO SMILE LINE

SUPPER ON THE GROUND

MOUNTAIN TREK

FRONT PORCH

SUNDY-GO-TO-MEETIN’-DAY

COOL GUN

REALITY

BEXAR

BIO

RIDE THE WIND

ON AMERICANA

AWARDS

PUBLISHED POETRY by DEWELL H BYRD

Reflections of the Heart is dedicated to

my wife, Elsa,

to my family,

and to Ann Doro, Friend Emeritus.

FORWARD

I haven’t figured out how to make a brand new

start to my life. But perhaps I can start from now

and make a brand new ending.

If falling in love makes a poet of us all, I must

have fallen in love with life at about age seventy.

I’ve always thought poetry but seldom put

anything to paper until the day I was challenged

to write by

Ann Doro, an author of children’s books and

poetry.

My poetry paints speaking pictures of simple,

everyday, common events in a way that I hope

entertains the reader who might say, Ah. or

Ah Ha. at the last stroke of the pen.

N.H.B

Part I

LOVE

True love is neither physical

nor romantic. It is an acceptance of

all that is, has been, will be, and

will not be. Alone we find solitude,

together we may find love, if we let it

in … and out.

May these poems bring the

sensitivity of love closer to your

heart, opening you up to yourself.

WINTER INTO SPRING

Lie beside my morning mist

and wake to silver tears;

wait with me while winter’s world

gray-clouds away our fears.

When whitened chills reach my heart

to claim their icy toll,

come beyond the warmth of me

and lie beside my