Unnoticed Moments

By Susan Patterson

Unnoticed Moments is a collection of poetry from the writer, Susan Patterson, spanning the years 2010 - 2014. Her work, characterized by its simplicity and clarity, reveals the multiple levels of human nature. Ms. Patterson captures that which would seem ordinary, if not mundane, and transmutes it into global meaning. She writes about the frailties of humanity, yet offers hope. She writes about daily life and almost dares the reader to act upon the truths that are in the soul of each us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Susan Patterson
• Release date: Apr 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9780984354696

Susan Patterson

Susan Patterson is an unexpected author. She did not put writing into her life's plan. However, after a demanding and busy career in business, and upon retirement, much to her surprise, poetry began coming to her. Mrs. Patterson is currently the author of five books. She is compared to Emily Dickinson, and it is said that her work brings a quiet education to the world. Mrs. Patterson has a bachelor of Arts in English and a Master's in Business Administration. She and her husband, James, live a quiet life in Oregon of the United States.

Book preview

Dedication

To James:

A Simple Explanation of My Devotion

If wit were it, I would be half.

But you are it, and so I am whole.

Foreword

Susan Patterson and I met through a mutual friend years ago. She was looking for her audience; I was looking for talent. Susan’s early writing, on the surface, seemed twee and without substance. But upon reading her first book, Musings with a Cuppa: The Poetry of Tea, I quickly realized there was depth of natural wisdom and insight in her elegant, yet tight and concise wording.

Ever since Susan Patterson, whose nom de plume was Earlene Grey, began to be a regular feature of my weekly podcast Radio Kinver, I have been delighted, even awestruck at the expansion of her talent. The widespread scope of her subjects is equally amazing. She is not just a tea poet any longer, but she is a mature and intensely effective reflector of both her inner and all of our outer worlds. Weekly, I receive comments from profoundly touched and grateful listeners thanking Susan for her poetry. Her audience is legion, and the appreciation for her work is beyond measure.

I, along with the many thousands, have witnessed this wonderful growth over the recent years. Susan hears and sees all types of life manifestations, and then distills her reflections into verse. There is layer upon layer of meaning in each piece of writing. She teaches, and we never know it.

The whisper that there might soon be a new book of poems from Susan had been floating around for a while. Now that she has condensed her diverse and rich material into a new book, what is there to say? Here Susan offers a collection and variety of poems that take the reader on a journey of important insight. We are fortunate to travel that journey with her.

A heartfelt thank you is first preceded by a great sigh of delight that Susan has once more given us a treasure trove.

Thank you!

Edmund Marshall Preston

Kinver, England

Preface

I was at a book show in Portland, Oregon a few years ago.  Several people were milling about the booth, but one young woman in particular was interested in reading some of my, at that time, unpublished work.  I was quiet as she read.  Abruptly she looked up and said, You write about the unnoticed moments in life, don’t you?  I answered that I supposed I did.  Never having thought about my poetic subjects before, I was taken aback.  But she was right.  The poems that I put down do seem to be about the times in our lives to which we do not often pay attention.  I find that those moments may be the most important. 

Unnoticed Moments is my fourth book.  I continue writing that which comes to me in odd places and at odd hours.  I continue writing that which I consider important to all of us.  I continue to writing for those people who encourage and support me.  Thank you for your kindness.  Thank you for making this possible.

For those who believe that we can be better than we are—

For those who believe that grace is never out of