The Book: “Time spent on or near the water has always been important to me. In a past life that meant boating and scuba diving. Today it means kayaking or walking along a river or stream. It may even mean sitting on a shoreline, writing poetry. Photography has always been a favorite pastime, so taking photos often is as important to me as the sights I see, but those sights aren’t limited to Nature. I find myself seeking angles and lines, and, as you might expect, some of the most intriguing lines can be found in architecture, but they also can be seen in groups of objects – and that includes people. Of course, as I’m enjoying the outdoors or observing people and architecture, all of this becomes part of my ‘familiar.’ My goal is to write about my ever-broadening familiar.”

The Poet: Ken Gierke is a retired truck driver, transplanted to Missouri from Western New York. After only ten years here, he is actually coming to think of Missouri as home, in spite of muddy water and a dearth of maple trees. While his poetry has appeared in several anthologies, this is his first published collection.

My thoughts: The opening poems, by this retired truck driver poet, are desolate and haunting. But soon several of them draw the reader into beautiful and compelling scenes as Ken Gierke shares his deathwatch over his mother. You’d think those would be bleak but they are so exquisitely wrought, that singular connection between mother and son. After the poet works through grief of her loss, the verses become more hopeful. A masterful collection.

Glass Awash is available on Amazon.