For Aged Men

By Leon J. Alexander

Then came a time to build my shattered life. I had my legal work, of course, but that was not enough. I rafted for a week down Colorado River rapids. The scenes and feelings evoked there gave birth to river poems presented here. At that time too, I wanted back the home life I’d abandoned recklessly. The love poems written at that time reflect the hopes and fears and turmoil driving me. I also, in those years, wrote legal articles that most properly have since been long forgotten and ignored.

I then remarried, and my inner fears and problems vanished for a while. I never wrote more poetry. The ones presented here were packed away and not looked at again. They now are resurrected as a tribute to those days of insecurity and fear.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796044744

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Copyright © 2019 by Leon J. Alexander.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2019908968

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-7960-4466-9

                Softcover         978-1-7960-4467-6

                eBook              978-1-7960-4474-4

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.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

The poems entitled Castles and Mountain Stream were published Jan. 1972 in Poet West

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CONTENTS

Introduction

I    River Morning

II    The Bats

III    Mirrors

IV    Rain

V    Lava Rocks

VI    Mud

VII    For Aged Men

VIII    Colorado

IX    River Walls

X    Castles

XI    Meanders

XII    Mountain Stream

XIII    Rapids No.1

XIV    Rapids No. 2

XV    Rapids No. 3

XVI    Rhythms

XVII    Consequences

Excuses

Cages

The Key

Dedication

Janus

Purrings

Beach Thoughts

INTRODUCTION

I was born the day that took place only six long years after the armistice that ended fighting in the first great war. My early memories are but faded snapshots, as when at six or so I first wore glasses and endured the secret laughter of all passer-bys. I still recall a radio address by John L. Lewis lauding FDR and many other isolated scenes. By the mid 30’s, past the age of 10 I first began to hear and understand the world around me. I knew of Spain and cheered the loyalists and sobbed myself to sleep when Franco