The Early Poems: 1978 to 1987

By Steven L. Griffing

Almost all the poems in this book were written when I was
between the ages of twenty-two and thirty-one. I was living in Columbus, Ohio; Oberlin, Ohio; and Los Angeles, California, chronologically.

The topics of the poems vary greatly, including an interest in women, a love for nature, an interest in the supernatural, a search for the meaning in life, and an understanding of God.

I hope that you enjoy reading these poems as much as I did in researching the past poetry of mine, compiling them, and typing them up on my computer.

My other works include Mirror Poems, Mirror Paintings and Early Starts: Volumes 1 and 2, Essays on Philosophy and Physics, and The Golden Section: An Ancient Egyptian and Grecian Proportion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jun 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781984534057

Steven L. Griffing

I am a Caucasian male of age forty-four. I am single and have no children. My surviving parent is my mother, Penelope Scott Griffing. I was born in Canberra, Australia, A.C.T., however, since both of my parents were American citizens when I was born, I was born as an American citizen. My family moved to Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. when I was seven years old, so I have remained an American citizen all of my life. I have been working for the Columbus Public School District since February of 1998. In October of 2000, I started work as a full time tutor for Specific Learning Disabled students at a local Columbus Public Schools' high school. I attended Oberlin College from 1974 to 1979. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in mathematics. I attended California State University at Los Angeles in California from 1981 to 1983, where I received my first state teacher’s credential in mathematics. I was a member of the 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy) group from 1979 to 1983. 3HO was the branch of the Indian Sikh religion, established here in the United States by Yogi Bhajan in the 1960’s. My hobbies include reading books and magazines, going for walks, talking with friends, watching certain television shows and movies, and plants and gardening. My current memberships include The Nature Conservancy and the Sierra Club. My other writings include The Golden Section: An Ancient Egyptian and Grecian Proportion, Mirror Paintings and Early Starts, and Essays on Philosophy and Physics, although no material from these works has been published, as yet. Some philosophical statements might include the following. God is beautiful. God is bright. And, God is big. Everyone is beautiful. Everyone is bright. And, everyone can speak. All of Creation is a miracle. All of life is magic. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. God is in me, and I am in God. The universe is in me, and I am in the universe. Food, water, and air are in me, and I am in food, water, and air. I eat, I drink, I breathe, I live. The universe eats, the universe drinks, the universe breathes, the universe lives. On earth, we have the four elements of earth, wind, fire, and water.

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Copyright © 2018 by Steven L. Griffing.

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.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Rev. date: 09/28/2020

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CONTENTS

Chapter 1   1978 & 1979

1. Lone Star (1976)

2. Ode to Stonehenge

3. Wind, Wind

4. My Lady

5. Harvest Ride

6. The Story of the Man with a Dancing Ball

7. The Man with Shamrock Eyes

8. The River Kwai

9. The Blood Stone

10. Painted Mind

11. Mu

12. The Horse of Rain

13. Zion, Sweet Zion

14. Columbus Town

15. Remember Me

16. The World, I See

17. The Ships, that Yawn

18. The Speckled Blue Jay

Chapter 2   1980 & 1981

19. Emptiness, and Tragedy

20. The Reawakening of the Chin

21. Prayer for World Peace

22. She’s Looking for Love

23. The Hour Glass

Chapter 3   1982

24. Meditation Green

25. Meditation Yellow

26. Rain, Rain

27. Poem to Fire

28. The Terror at My Door

29. I Am an Old Man, Now

30. Lake Scene

31. The Nightingale’s Flight

32. She’s a Woman in Love

33. Forsooth, and Forsay

Chapter 4   1983

34. The Duel

35. Little Starling

36. I’m a Royal Man

37. Zen Meditation

38. When We Pray

39. My Little Girl, I.

40. Eagle’s Rock

41. Time by Time

42. Chandelebra, Chandelay

Chapter 5   1984

43. Butterfly Wing

44. A Spider’s Web

45. The Birds in the Trees

46. The Truck

47. Ocean Star

48. Light as a Feather

49. I Could Not Get By

50. The Feather

51. Green Little Lizard

52. I Didn’t Call to Remember Your Name

53. My Little Girl, II.

54. Wedding Bells

55. My Lady, Fair

56. Pursed Lips

57. On the Wings of Eagles

Chapter 6   1985, 1986, & 1987

58. Lift My Spirits

59. The Red, and White, and Green Striped Park Benches

60. When We Marry

61. The Boat

62. Egypt

63. Them Birds

64. Rushiolia

65. Save the Children

66. Mallard Duck

67. My Oriental Girl

68. I Live in a Broken-Down Palace, I.

69. Far Away, in Some Long, Lost Place

70. The Wind Whispers through the Tulips

Chapter I

1978 & 1979

Lone Star

Well, there is a