Encore
A Collection of Poems
by
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A DOSE OF DAWN The sunlight which strikes my eyes at dawn bears its surprises. Never the same when it returns again— on that I can depend. Of course some days are dark even when the night departs and ushers in a dreary day. I walk into the early mornings amazed, sometimes that I’m still here to gaze upon this sky and earth. It’s worth so much for me to see our days begin and though there are those who do not welcome them I recommend a dose of dawn. Swallowed by a waiting heart it might part a sea of darkness and enable one to smile— at least a little while. THE TREES IN THE WEST It was as if the trees in the west were hungry and their windblown leaves were tongues that reached up into the sky, salivating. They licked the sun rays then began to devour them. Slowly they were swallowing the sun and I watched it disappear into the stomach of the night. But before the total darkness came the twilight and again my delight at the turning of the earth. BRIEFLY I’M UNDONE I’m laid back in my recliner looking at white clouds that change their shape as they pass by. And I see the little white dog that I lost three years ago. I can’t forget that little white dog no matter how I try. If there’s anything nearby to remind me of his presence it triggers memories that cling so to my heart and are so easily revived. A touch of sadness comes and briefly, I’m undone. WHEN THE SHADOWS LENGTHEN When the shadows lengthen and I use imagination I can make most anything upon the lawn I look upon. The contingencies of aging have not deprived me of the power to create things that are not, but seem to be. The long strips of darkness that play upon the grass grow and grow— eventually meeting me who goes out to see the pending glory of a sun that’s going down beyond the live oak trees. I find my breathing is enhanced as I watch the arbor dance with swaying branches becoming arms that whirl around. I see the shadows pirouette before they fade away to close another glorious day.
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About the Book
Russ Peery, 89, brings fresh perspectives on nature, life, aging
Author announces release of his latest book ‘Encore: A Collection of Poems’
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - It is not every day that one has access to the thoughts of a gifted 89-year-old poet. Russ Peery’s “Encore” available in large print paperback in August 2016, offers just such an opportunity. In his own words, this “striving ancient being” finds wonder in “dailyness” and meaning in aging. “In these latter years of mine / I milk the sky and earth for poems– / I milk my memories– / I milk my thoughts.”
A former pastor and woodworker, Peery came relatively late to poetry. At the age of 73, he was persuaded by his ailing mother to write seriously, and his wife of 40 years encourages him on a daily basis to keep at it. Peery’s latest collection of 180 poems – spanning such universal subjects as nature, relationships, love, inspiration, memories, aging, end-of-life reflections – is a rare treasure, laying bare in gratifying cadence truths of the human condition and human experience, with the wisdom gathered from nearly nine decades. “Encore” is illustrated with striking photographs taken by Peery’s friend and editor, Joanne Schwandes. In the photos, readers actually see many of the vistas and images that inspire Peery and that he paints so vividly with words.
Peery’s poems are accessible and varied. A number of poems have a timeless quality: “Down by the sea that I see no more– / the sea close to me in my days of yore / are waters still lapping a now distant shore…” Others describe touching encounters with grandchildren and people he knows. Some poems catch the reader off guard with their candor, amuse with their contemporary references (iPhones), and make one laugh out loud with unexpected metaphors. On the whole though, the poems are powerful, keenly incisive and a testament to the “unconquerable soul” (as in Henley’s Invictus). The section entitled “Harvesting a Memory” is especially poignant, covering loss, nostalgia, disappointment, gratitude and triumph. One excerpt that captures the general tone of the book comes from the poem “A Tool We’ve Been Given” on p. 123: “My mind often covets those memories / spawned when this century was new … / But rather than cry at the losses / we do best by recalling and smiling / for that is the tool we’ve been given / that offers us great consolation / when our accumulated years / deny us the blessings / once almost taken for granted.”
This book at its core pays homage to aging, with humor, insightful perspective and dignity. It will resonate with anyone who is or loves a senior citizen of any age. The poems are particularly well-suited for reading aloud and may easily be used as a springboard for reflection, discussion and reminiscing.
About the Author
Russ Peery grew up in Madison, Connecticut, on the shore of Long Island Sound. After serving in the US Navy, he graduated from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania in 1949 and from Andover Newton Theological School in Massachusetts in 1953. His first parish was in Maine. Then he served four churches in Connecticut, and finally one in Mt Pleasant, Tennessee. In the late 1970s, a three-week course in woodworking at Penland School of Crafts began Russ’s transformation from hobbyist to professional woodworker. He and his wife, Merle, have been married for more than 40 years. They lived in Connecticut and Tennessee, then moved to Florida in 2011. Russ has three children, several grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Russ has always liked to write, but got serious about writing poetry about 20 years ago. In 2012, POSTLUDE was published. Despite expecting it to be his last, he kept on writing and his readers kept on positively responding to his new poems (posted online several times a week at http://www.russpeery.com). They relish his fresh perspectives on the common things of life, and share deeply in the emotions and observations he so clearly articulates. Open up this new collection of poems and continue to experience a smorgasbord of hope, amusement, contemplation, insight, and wonderment.