Bad Dreams of a Hungry Dog: Poems of Spiritual Odyssey and A Quest For Enlightenment

By Jere Truer

My poetry book, Bad Dreams of Hungry Dogs, is my meditation on my spiritual journey and my dialogue with the divine. As a poet, I see my job as one who stands in the midst of the world and reports what he experiences from the point of view of the soul. And so these poems are my soul reactions and responses to outer events in the world

• Language: English
• Publisher: Go To Publish
• Release date: Mar 4, 2021
• ISBN: 9781647493691

Jere Truer

Jere Truer is a poet who has published widely in various journals in Canada and the U.S. He has given many poetry reading and also participated in writing labs and group performances. Jere considered a career in the ministry when young and has pursued a study of spiritual and metaphysical matters most of his life. He has a previous book of poems, "The Art of Dying", Austin Macauley Publishers, in which he works through his grief regarding the death of his wife Tamara from breast cancer. In both his spiritual pursuit and his professional work, Jere has sought ways to bring deep healing for often traumatic wounds. In this current book of poems, he converses with God in very intimate and sometimes confrontive ways. Jere's own beliefs respect the Abrahamic tradition, as well as Buddhist and Asian thought, trying weave together a conversation wherein all faith is, if not the same, a seeking for goodness, grace, and peace. As in his previous book, the issues raised are universal and express thoughts and feelings that lie hidden in the human heart. He lives in Arizona but grew up and had a private psychotherapy practice in Minneapolis. For the past fifteen years, he has been on the faculty of Adler Graduate School. He has several grown children and grandchildren. His other loves include composing music and collecting instruments from around the world. He is also a gifted storyteller, accompanying himself with a hand drum and telling ancient folk tales.

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Bad Dreams of a Hungry Dog

Poems of Spiritual Odyssey and A Quest For Enlightenment

Copyright © 2021 by Jere Truer

ISBN: ePub: 978-1-64749-369-1

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions.No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

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Jere Truer

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Yuma, AZ 85365

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many of these poems have been published in previous revisions in several small press literary journals which sadly have closed up shop. Among them are Germination in Canada, Sidewalks in Minnesota, InRoads in Minnesota, and Talking Stick in Minnesota.

I have published most of these poems online on my own site on Facebook, An Unfinished Conversation. Many have appeared in the online journals Martin Lake and Lawless Poetry.

I wish to thank John Huber who got me first turned onto poetry in 1971 as a sophomore at what is now Ridgewater Community College. I am indebted to the late John Mitchell who was my advisor, provocateur, and mentor at Augsburg College.

I received tremendous support, feedback, and friendship from The Bedford Poets. Among them are Thomas R. Smith, John Krumberger, Daniel Thomas, Daniel Bachhuber, Eric Austin, Jane Graham George, Diane Jarvenpa, Scott King, Roger Parrish, and Maureen Skelly.

Because this is a book of my spiritual odyssey, my teachers and guides, many of them now deceased, are Alfred Sevig, Floyd Lien, Cal Appleby, Susan Veiera, Miriam Pew, Fred Mueller, and the healer who uttered to me during a healing session thirty years ago, The path to enlightenment is like the bad dream of a hungry dog. His name is Bill Torvund.

I have been blessed with many like-minded friends who accompanied me, for at least a little while. We have had many soul-searching conversations over the years which got mulled over and turned into poems. These friends are Robert Roggeveen, Jeffery Grundtner, Greg Ruud, Fannella Collins, Julie Tallard Johnson, my late wife Tamara Chaney Truer, and my current wife Monica Schurtz Truer.

I also want to acknowledge the Yuma Writers Consortium who welcomed me into