A Book of Verses

By James Lawler

My book of verses is a collection of poems I have
written throughout the years. Some are inspired by events in my life. Others are purely figments of my imagination. I write about people I have encountered, news event. the way I see the world and the things around me, anything and everything that inspires me.
I try not to offend anyone by making blanket statements or speaking in absolutes. The way I see the world is strictly from my point of view and not intended to be construed as factual. I might appear to be preaching from a soap box, at times. I hope not but we all see the world in different ways. I write about the way I see it.
My poems are intended for anyone that can open a book. I attempt to add a bit of humor, a little drama, a lot of love, a touch of evil. In essence I have mixed a variety of ingredients together to make it interesting.
The purpose of my poetry is to, hopefully, take the reader away from reality for a while. Its intended to relax the mind for a spell I believe that is the purpose of a book. It is like a fountain of knowledge where the thirsty mind can be quenched. It can be a companion for the lonely at heart, an oasis in the midst of reality where one can escape for a while.
Poetry is my passion. Its my escape from reality, my high, so to speak. a tranquilizer to combat lifes stressful moments.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 4, 2009
• ISBN: 9781465330482

James Lawler

I was born on an old farm in 1934, you could see daylight coming through the crack in the walls until papa could afford plaster to fill them in. Mama would bath us kids once a week in a big round wash tub.. There were ten of us kids, three girls and seven boys. All my brothers are gone and I’m still here with my three sisters. We had no indoor plumbing or electricity; we got our water from a hole in the ground and the toilet was out back in a little wooden shack. We read by candle light and in the evenings we sat around telling stories; we were always in bed by nine. Papa had a hard life trying to feed all of us but I don’t recall ever going hungry. He stood in the bread line for hours many a times and he worked for the WPA, a welfare program earning a dollar a day. He was also a share cropper, off and on through-out the years. We went through many hard times and looking back, oddly enough, I miss those hard times; we all pulled together as a family I’m eighty two years old now and I love to tell stories; it keeps my mind occupied My darling wife was aflicted with Alzheimers bless her heart and there’s nothing I can do for her, I feel so helpless. I wrote a novel a couple of years back; I also published a book of poetry and one of short stories. I’m worhing on three other books; I just hope I have enough time left to finish them.

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by James Lawler.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any

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or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing

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This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

About the author

Solace By The Sea

I’ll Love You Until

If My Heart Could

Somewhere

Leap-Frog

If I Could Touch Heaven

My Little Girl

Summer Love

Measures Of The Heart

The Encounter

Forbidden Love

Faith

Idle Hands

Dormant Love

Secrets

The Essence Of Innocence

Souvenirs

The Widow’s Walk

Scattered

Bittersweet

Old River

When It Comes Time

Alone

Love Conquers All

Memories

Sleep In Heavenly Peace

In Spite Of It All

Faces

Endings

If I Could Fly

Wondering

There Is A Place

Love Tokens

Soft And Green

Night Things

Fire Dreaming

There Was A Time

Shattered Image

The Pendulous Heart

China Heart

When The Drums Play

Someday

God Sent An Angel

Heaven’s Just One Step Away

Compliance

Contentment

Why

White Coats

The Lumber Room

The Garden Of The Dead

Prayer

Ode To A Poor Man

The Reunion

I’m An Old Man

Let’s Get Back To The Basics

The Predator

The Storm

Until The Heart Is Silent

Going To Meet Mama

The Visitor

A Time For All Things

Johns

The Passing

The House Of Gables

The Family Tree

The Passing Of A Century

The Loft

A Book

The Star-Watcher

The Candy Store

What’s In A Name?

The Earth

Satan’s Got A Plan

Slightly Impaired

The Taker

Silence The Heart

Sleep In Heavenly Peace

Evil

The Accused

The Ad

The Note

My Old Friend

Sylvester Hagadorne

The Prince Of Laughter

Faces

Nobody Cheered

The Dark Side Of Dingle

They Shoot Horses

Promises

When My Soul Takes Flight

Fiction Or Fact

The Bell

Moments

A Cold Case

Our Gifts

The Spectator

Death

Phobias

The House Of Tears

Deception

Parts

Emily

All For Naught

After the rain

There’s Something About A Storm

Where Will I go?

The Wayward Hand

My Reservoir

A Toast

That’s Life

Distinctions

Fate

After The Mold Is Cast

The Enchanted Years

The Dreamer’s Lament

The Joy Lies In The Challenge

I Will Still Be There

The Taker Of Souls

The Whipping Post

There’s No Going Back

Today I Went To See Her

Summary

Dedication

To my loving wife Patricia

My friend of friends and inspiration

My tower of strength and stability

In a world of chaos and confusion

If we had never met and loved

Then I would know not to speak of love.

I humbly dedicate this labor of love.

My Book of Verses.

About the author

I was born in an old farm house, in central New York, the year was 1934. We read by lamp light, drew our water from a hole in the ground and wore a path between the back door and the outhouse.

My father was a farmer at the time. He was also a woodsman and a carpenter. He had many skills and was good at all of them. He was very gifted.

My mother worked, as a seamstress, when she was a young lady. She was also a mom to myself and nine other siblings.

I never finished high school but went to college for a couple of years, when I was in my late fifties, I majored in psychology and human service. For some reason, that escapes me now, I got the notion I wanted to be a drug and alcohol counselor. After a couple internships, while at the same time attempting to cope with a teenage grandson, who liked the taste of hops, I decided to pack it all in and call it quits.

I was diagnosed with, a neurological disorder, they called it progressive spinal disease, for want of a better name but there’s a history of Charcot Marie Tooth in the family,. a debilitating bi-lateral disease that causes atrophy in the muscles. I probably inherited this disease also, I think so.

I started writing as a teenager and through the years I continued to write, mostly for the pleasure I got out of it; I never considered publication, it was just a hobby that I enjoyed but those who read my material enjoyed it and urged me to have it published.

So here I am, on the advice of my dear wife and my many friends, gathering together my poems and having them put in print.

Solace By The Sea

When the night sky and silvery moon

Has driven the sun far from view

On a wind-swept cliff by the ocean-side

I live in the memory of you

No lips could stir nor thrill my heart

Were they not the lips I once knew

I’d trade a thousand eternities

For one more moment with you

Oh precious love sweet love divine

Your memory I’ll hold true

Along with all the treasured dreams

That died when I lost you

Hasten not my despairing heart

And those tears of grief belay

For time shall still thy beating

And take all the pain away

I’ve known the joy of loving you