Fire in the Soul

By John Ryan

This, Johns fifth book of poetry, is an indication
of what happens when a writer is passionate
and dedicated to his craft.

A full-time writer in his retirement, John enjoys
every moment, but suffers from Writers Block
more often than not.

I work myself too hard sometimes he says,
I work through the night when the Muse is about (!)
and read voraciously. I can spend days agonizing
over apparently trivial words, but it has to be right

John travels regularly to family in South Africa,
Germany, Poland and Ireland: he gets inspiration
from the smallest details: indeed, attention to
detail is what makes my life what it is - a
passionate love affair with people, with the
inconsequential trappings of everyday life, he says.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Apr 4, 2013
• ISBN: 9781479796991

Book preview

Copyright © 2013 by John Ryan.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2013903025

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-4797-9698-4

                Softcover       978-1-4797-9697-7

                Ebook             978-1-4797-9699-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. Date: 02/16/2013

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

0-800-644-6988

www.xlibrispublishing.co.uk

[e-mail]

306122

Contents

Fire in the Soul

Drops of Rain

The Waiting Time

Christmas Tree

Preferences

Christmas Eve

Windy Day

A Mild, Mild Christmas

Fallen Blooms

The New Year

Snowy Poland

Stargazing

Misty

Old Age

Walking Alone

Late Winter Rains

The Horse Chestnut

South-Westerly

Fire in the Soul (2)

Walking through

East Finchley

Premonitions

Waiting

The Mind

65 in March

Waiting

Ivy Leaves

Heavy Mist

Children in the Playground

The Poet

Ireland

Out of the Mist

The Water’s Edge

Early Spring, Early Start

On High

Lost

A Broken Mind, Renewed

Baffled

Early Morning

Wedding Bells

The Birds

Older Now

Early February

Early Morning

Spring

The Day Szymborska Died

Snow

Beloved East Finchley

Words Are Few

Where the Words have Gone

Legacy

White Space

Bruckner Symphony

Number Two

Crows

The Smaller Birds

I Love this Time in March

Never Will I Roam Again

Inside Bedlam’s Walls

Dutch Old Master

Chopin

Love and Hate

In the Morning Light

Morning Chores

Mountain Roads

The Bare Gaunt Trees

Alone at Night

The Present Moment

Obsession

Fire in the Soul (2)

Innocence

I Want to Scramble

Sometimes I Wonder

When I Think Back

Time to Think and Write

Abandoned

A Sense of Place

Warming Up

The Rain

Springtime Sun

New Arrivals

Also by John Ryan

Like a Fine Piece of China

Arcadia

Rosetta

Aftermath

Poems under the Jacaranda Tree

Dedicated to Paul du Plessis

This, John’s fifth book of poetry, is an indication

of what happens when a writer is passionate

and dedicated to his craft.

A full-time writer in his retirement, John enjoys

every moment, but suffers from Writer’s Block

more often than not.

I work myself too hard sometimes he says,

"I work through the night when the Muse is about (!)

and read voraciously. I can spend days agonizing

over apparently trivial words, but it has to be right"

John travels regularly to family in South Africa,

Germany, Poland and Ireland: he gets inspiration

from the smallest details: "indeed, attention to

detail is what makes my life what it is—a

passionate love affair with people, with the

inconsequential trappings of everyday life", he says.

Photo By:

Arendi Eastwood Lambrechts

Fire in the Soul

Fire in the soul this

early-morning hour,

hope in my breast as

I face the vicissitudes

of another day.

I am consumed by

passion: a passion for

living to the full, and

mindfulness, this

very day. Fire

in the soul:

a passion to create,

with words,

again and again.

In the beginning

was the word:

I shall die

consuming words.

Words preceded me,

Words will outlast

me, on my

gravestone.

Consuming and

consumed:

Words are the fire

in the soul.