Sheltered Moments: People, Places, and Things.

By Dr. Fred Smiley

In his third volume of poetry, Dr. Fred Smiley’s Sheltered Moments: People, Places, and Things offers a series of prose poems to capture small, meaningful life moments that often go unrecorded. The introduction explains how and why the text was written, describes the poems’ three tiers, and adds complementary quotes. The author then divides the book into three domains: real and imagined people, past and present places, and meaningful and eventful things.

Built upon Dr. Smiley’s experiences as student, teacher, professor, and journeyer, this book contains adventures of mind, body, and spirit. Readers are invited into such divergent locations as a beach walk, a circus sideshow, and an old theater. The poems offer unforgettable characters, including a fragile homeless person, a wary town crier, and a unique professional wrestler. Rich with pathos and wit, with a mixture of philosophy, what-might-have-been, or what-might-be, the author also interweaves evocative asides and wry commentaries. Sheltered Moments: People, Places, and Things offers readers the enjoyment of the selections. However, Dr. Smiley also invites readers to compile and write their own life experiences and poetic journeys.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jul 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664173972

Dr. Fred Smiley

Dr. Fred Smiley wars born and raised in Marysville, California, and attended local schools, graduating with a BA (English) from Chico State in 1966. His graduate education included MA degrees from Chapman University (Education—1973; English—1978; and SpEd—1982). During this time, he taught English and coached at several high schools. After completing his EdD in 1992 from Oklahoma State University, he became Professor of Education and SpEd at Cameron University (Oklahoma), Carthage College (Wisconsin), and Montana State University–Northern (Montana). At those sites, from 1991to 2019, he taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate teacher education classes. In addition, he published numerous articles, wrote many grants and presentations, established an online journal, and won a series of professor-of-the-year awards for his student- and community-centered efforts. Using his education and life experiences, he presents Sheltered Moments: People, Places, and Things, his third book of poetry, which offers a variety of thought-provoking vignettes of life’s diverse adventures.

Book preview

SHELTERED

MOMENTS:

People, Places, and Things

Dr. Fred Smiley

Copyright © 2021 by Dr. Fred Smiley.

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.

Rev. date: 06/29/2021

Xlibris

844-714-8691

www.Xlibris.com

544592

To Deborah

Contents

Introduction

People

Blurry Vision Of Deborah

Brothers 2

By Any Other Name

Clocked

Communication Of Another Kind

Curious Lender

From A Different Source

Holding Forth

Indelible Thought

I Was Almost Unstoppable

Life Calls

Light On The Stairs

Magic At Best

Measuring Is Everything

Memo To Self

Now To Know

No Ordinary Joe

Ode To Julian

Parting Afternoon

Quite A Choice

Reflection Predilection

Reverie On Who’s Left

Several Courses Served

Sitting Apart

Streetly Speaking

Summer Blues And Shade

Sunday Night At The Featured Side Show

That Look In Her Eyes

The Band In Need Of Aid

The Mix Should Have Worked

Trust Is A Big Factor

Two Hats Of Mind

Walkabout: A Walk About

Wanderless

Places

A Beacon Of Sorts

About That Time

Be Validated

Circus One

Huntington, Perhaps

It’s Hard To Miss

Just Over The Hill, I Think

Lessons Taught And Learned

Maybe Rod Serling Glasses Would Help

Missed Perceptions

My Brightest Friend

New Varsity, Long Gone

Okay While The Music Played

Perspective

Read That Sign Post Up Ahead

Scene 4, Take 2

Searching For Shangri-La

Served Up Well

So I Always Stop There

Staying At Mayberry, Maybe

Steps In Another Direction

That Fateful Sign

That’s What Stopped The Night

The Pictures Might Be Moving

The Procession Before

Unless You Forget

Things

A Bit Too Late

A Fine Conjunction Junction

A Moving Night

Bicycle Built For Two

Coded Voices

Come October

Disputed Report

East, Meet West

End Of A Quandary

Final Exam

History Revisited

It had To Be Almost West Of Here

Lost And Found

Marshmallows In A Darkened Room

Now Admitting

Ode To Another

Pals Indeed

Pillow Talk

Pirate Philosophy 1

Prescription Description

Remember This Directive

Some Reflective Mathematics Notes

Special Feast

The Cost Of Flight

The Crossroads Clocksmith

The Real Competition

The Wait’s Not The Thing

Things Done And Not Done

Time Rewinding

Travel Of A Special Kind And Route/Root

Turn The Dimension

Unforgettably So

Epilogue

Introduction

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PREFATORY THOUGHTS

To begin, I am very happy (for several reasons) to write this introductory note about my latest book of poetry, Sheltered Moments: People, Places, and Things. You certainly have the option of skipping over this part of my book and concentrating on the verses themselves. However, I hope you choose to read this section, for it will give you an opportunity to learn about the various bases from which I wrote and constructed this collection of poems. My name is (Dr.) Fred Smiley, and I am a recently retired Professor of Education. In my professorships at Cameron University (Oklahoma/1991–2002), Carthage College (Wisconsin/2002–2006), Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky/2006–2008), and Montana State University–Northern (Montana/2008–2019), it was my pleasure to teach a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses in English, Education, and Special Education. They all emphasized students’ critical thinking, reading, and writing. It was both satisfying and enlightening to facilitate those courses, and I learned several important precepts and values that have influenced me:

1. Though critical thinking, reading, and writing are important learning (and living) skills, I contend developing skills