Reflections of Darkness and Light

By Michael André Fath

Reflections of Darkness and Light is novelist Michael Andr Faths debut volume of verse. These 51 poems transcend the gamut of human emotion and experience, whether physical, mental or spiritual, and sometimes everything, wrapped into a single offering. The splendor of daughters, our Chesapeake Bays sheer majesty, the sublime brilliance of sport and luminosity of music, etc., are included themes giving way to those feelings of grandeur; with even the devoted care of ones 1950s Chevrolet, and the intoxicating visual seduction of a simple sundress!

Yet to counterbalance while being faithful to the more somber and tragic aspects of life, entries also portray the loneliness of being a single father, sibling and parent loss, fall from grace, a beloved pets transition, a Marine Vietnam veterans catharsis and much more.

These will hopefully, at the very least, entice reflection and appreciation of surviving lifes numerous and many times seemingly insurmountable and impossible challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Nov 15, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450274135

Michael André Fath

Michael Fath is an internationally acclaimed rock guitarist, composer, mandolinist, singer and producer, with hundreds of recordings to his credit. His band American Crush is signed to the European rock label Mottow Soundz, Brussels, Belgium. Their debut record, American Crush, was released July 4, 2021. American Crush II will be released in late 2023/2024. Michael’s extensive martial arts resume is reflected in several professional ventures including owning and operating The Blue Chip Academy and training American and Israeli military, police, American and British Special Forces, government agents and civilian clients in hand-to-hand combat. He is also on the motivational speaking rosters of Celebrity Speakers Associates (United Kingdom, Andorra) and Speakers, Inc. (San Diego, CA).

Book preview

Dedication

In 1987 a most extraordinary event occurred, one that would change my life forever, and that was the birth of my first daughter Jade. I remember holding this tiny little bundle and looking into her eyes and falling in love far beyond and above all previous amazing, wonderful and appreciated times, and thanking God for her safe delivery to us. Now my life had a purpose heretofore unknown, and now the word sacrifice would mean something never experienced.

In 1990, three very short and sleep deprived years later, our baby Sierra followed suit, and again I was completely and utterly thunderstruck by my overwhelming and heart-warming passion for our second little girl and gift from His Almighty!

It is no secret to those that know me of my devotion to these two; and, my life’s ambition is the be the greatest father in the world, or at least give it the old college try. It is also no surreptitious fact that they are soul mates, confidants, infatuations and even girlfriends. We love to laugh, and forever will I totally adore and not just cherish but also be in love with them.

It may again be obvious, with some of the forthcoming verse, that these two young women for their entire time as living souls most assuredly influenced and conditioned my emotional stability yet precarious fragility; and, I realize that this is the price one pays for unconditional devotion!

They have further added to my strength and resolve, and have helped their dad through trauma and crisis, knowing and appreciating my instinctive and time-honored survival skills, yet completing them, and making me whole.

Reflections of Darkness and Light

is most passionately dedicated to

Jade Arden and Sierra Marie

Jade and Sierra #1.jpg

Jade and Sierra (circa ’91 – photo by me)

Contents

1. A Daughter Phoenix

2. Princepessa

3. Gloria Filiorum Patres

4. My Offering Is Song

5. Eyes Of Gracie

6. When I Return

7. The Game

8. Little Mermaids

9. As Summer Fades

10. Divine Forgiveness

11. A Most Cherished Goodbye

12. Dreamscape

13. Fall From Grace

14. Nicky

15. This Heartrending Pain

16. Apple

17. Sibling Discontent

18. Fly Away Little Bird, Fly Away

19. Golden Gloves

20. For Elizabeth

21. First Kiss

22. Art Of The Sword

23. Challenged? Au Contraire!

24. Blue

25. Chesapeake

26. Broken Parts, Mended Soul

27. Tripping The Sanity Line

28. A Dad’s Soliloquy

29. Spring

30. The Guitar As My Muse

31. A Warrior’s Shrine

32. The Yellow Sundress

33. Clean Machine

34. Flower Of The Lone Star

35. Alphabet Romance

36. The Curse And Gift Of Clarity

37. The Little Black Squirrel

38. White China