Traces of Our Time

By Herbert Hildebrand

The poems in this book are a compilation of those written in my youth up to those penned a short while ago. I never set out to be a poet, I just couldnt stop writing them. I have little formal training in structure but hopefully enough to give clarity to the verse. Most are written in iambic tetrameter while some a free style and others cross back and forth. Notwithstanding, all had the same beginning, an inspiration which turned into a vision and then the vision to which I gave a voice. I think the best description was given by Robert Frost, A poem begins as a lump in the throat; a homesickness or lovesickness. It is a reaching out for expression; an effort to find fulfillment. A complete poem is one where an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 15, 2012
• ISBN: 9781477279243

Herbert Hildebrand

I was born in Baltimore City just prior to the end of WW11. I grew up in times of prosperity, the 1950's, I attended collage during the upheaval of the 1960's. After leaving school I married and had three children with my wife Joann. They are now grown and have provided us with seven grandchildren. Throughout my adult life I have worked in the insurance claims business, beginning as a claims adjuster and eventually as a claims director. I have taught insurance principles at the Insurance Society of Philadelphia and at several of the Atlantic City casinos. I was President of the Loss Executive Association, 1988 and co founded the National Forum of Property Loss Professionals, 1984. My job has afforded me great travel opportunities throughout the United States and Canada. I have had the good fortune of seeing all of the various cultures and societies first hand. I have gotten to know a good number of people with varied backgrounds and from different walks of life. I have also, unfortunately witnessed first hand severe destruction and loss of property and life being involved with catastrophic storms such as Hurricane Andrew and massive conflagrations from New York to Los Angelas. I have learned a great deal about people and their world. When I was ten years old I wrote my first poem. Obviously, it was very simplistic, but I was so proud of it. Since that time I have written hundreds. Several have been published in local journals and newspapers. Now after 55 years of working with my art I thought it time to put it into book form with the sincere hope others will find enjoyment in reading the poems contained in it.

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© 2012 by Herbert Hildebrand. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 10/10/2012

ISBN: 978-1-4772-7925-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4772-7924-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2012919092

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Traces of Our Time

Who Is Left To Care

Silent Prayers

He Was Long Ago A Fisherman

Love Lost

On The Beach

A Day On The Lake

Night

The Spirit

Lucky

To Be Free

A Man’s Destiny Ends In Silence

Sunday Morning In L A

From A Hillside

The Mansion

Come With Me To The Water

Through The Woods

Spring

Farm Land

My First Granddaughter

For One Who Will Not Quit

Sunday Mornings In Medford

Tropical Sun

Aches and Pains

Dreams Of Passion

Forsaken Love

Christmas Eve

Nightmares

The Old Drunk

Destiny

Illusions

Blessed Love

A Random Jotting

Winter’s Song

A Place Far Away

My Back Porch

The Writer

My Epitaph

The Rabbi

Observations Of Nature

The Universe

My Old Friend

Vale Of Tears

The Goddess

Silly Time

Going Fishing

Fantasy Unwound

Journey Into Fear

For my wife Joann

and my dear departed friend Kitty

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Traces of Our Time

The childhood days of you and me

Living on through eternity

Upon a brilliant golden sea

Struggling forever to be free

Touching hands and holding on

Never caring right from wrong

Speaking words that can’t belong

To any other mortal’s song

Tunes that forever need no rhyme

Like the fervent traces of our time

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Who Is Left To Care

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