Inspiration: A Journey Through the Mind of Poet Dennis Maxwell

By Dennis Maxwell

I once asked Dennis, what were his favorite movies? He said, Those that made me feel better when Im leaving than when I came in. When asked about his two favorite places, he said, A road that I have never traveled and my childrens heart. Then I asked him for his favorite books and he replied, Those that leave me wiser and kinder. As I read his works, I find myself wiser, kinder and inspired. This was his intent. Through his unique originality, clarity of vision and conviction of thought, he brings the reader, sometimes with gentle compassion and sometimes with forcefulness, to an area of understanding and personal growth. His clarity and individuality plays to our intellectual qualities, while his humor and wit plays on our emotions. Whether in rhyme or free verse, his amazing ability to fuse the richness of his extraordinary diverse life and his connection with nature, with his foundation in Christianity, Eastern philosophy and his belief in a Universal Intelligence will leave you laughing, crying, amazed or inspired, But I guarantee, you will be wiser and kinder.

Author's email address: [e-mail]

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 30, 2010
• ISBN: 9781477167465

Dennis Maxwell

Dennis Maxwell is a freelance writer and poet. Raised in the south, he now resides in Atlanta, Georgia where long walks in the beautiful parks of Lake Lanier help inspire his writing, while his membership in the Atlantas Writers Group and The Poets Society, provide the fellowship for kindred spirits. Even as a business owner and engineer, Dennis always attributed his ability as a poet and writer to his unbelievable life experiences. Sometimes harsh and cruel and sometimes as sweet as the honeysuckle that grew beside the cotton fields of his aunts house, where as a child, he was raised in the small town of Amory, Mississippi. The trials and tribulations of his life forged his character and planted the seeds of inspiration, hopefully to grow in the fertile soil of experience.

Book preview

Copyright © 2010 by Dennis Maxwell. 586839

Library of Congress Control Number:   2010910253

ISBN:       Softcover       978-1-4535-2498-5

                 Hardcover     978-1-4535-2499-2

                 EBook           978-1-4771-6746-5

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: 07/24/2018

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Dedication

To my boys:

Shane, Shannon and Bobby

Thank you for the Inspiration

For my Grandchildren

Who now carry the banner of Inspiration

For my 4th grade School Teacher

Mrs. La Duke 1958

Macon ELementary,

Memphis, TN.

Who knew I was a poet

30 years before I did

And

For all the Torch Bearers

Who preserve the clear trickle

In our muddy pond

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Inspirational—Spiritual

Inspiration

Tree

Life’s Journey

The Abyss

Forest Prayer

My Rock

Torch Bearers

To Those Who Wait

The Pure Thought

Memories

Chapter 2 Inspirational–Earth

Breeze

I Am Leaf

Moonrise

Starlight

Earth

Clouds

The Pond

The Wild Horse

Moon-Song

Chapter 3 Inspirational–Love

Fallen Angel

Signs of Love

Enchantress

I’ve Watched

Love Abides

Chapter 4 Inspirational—Exploration

Another Place to Call Home

The Launch

Chapter 5 Military Conflict

American Soldier

The Horror

Night Siege

Chapter 6 Family

Little Jake, Shannon and Me

Dad

My Aunt Ann

Am I a Rich Man?

Chapter 7 Humor

The Camping Trip

Getting Old Ain’t Makin-it

Chapter 8 Seasonal

The Blessing

The Wolf Man

Chapter 9 Instructional

Be Silent and Listen

A Circle of Responsibility

Finish Your Vegetables

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Inspiration

When the door opens,

thoughts pour through

as easily as notes to a gifted musician.

Symphonies emerge

and perfect blended notes dance

and blend harmoniously,

filling this crude room,

with moments of more than what we are.

A moment of clarity

allows us to hear the eternal song,

where new depths can be touched momentarily,

where inspiration explains the unexplainable,

where new thoughts spear

their way into our imagination.

This brief encounter with enlightenment,

touches something greater than ourselves,

something whole, something right,

something so beautiful,

blended, balanced and pure

in the connection,

That no doubt lies

in the blessed for whom

that moment was meant,

and that will forever leave its mark

on the mind of the searcher.

Pushed by this inner voice,

the artist, monk, author, poet,

preacher, athlete, teacher or dancer,

all who endeavor to persevere

with strength, courage,

honor and compassion,

Can and have come face to face

with being in the moment

of something that never explains

why its there, never justifies

with reason its existence.

Only the calmness,

the clarity, the caress of heart and mind,

the