About this Blog

For many years, I have maintained a daily journal wherein I recounted daily experiences and thoughts. In my youth, when I needed to explore a subject in greater detail than my daily journal permitted, I wrote short stories. I found that in stories, I could create characters who would explore a theme, idea or subject from differing points of view. It was a way I could flesh out my own thoughts and opinions. It was a venue through which I could debate with myself, empathize with various opinions and not appear foolish. However, because my writing style is obtuse and convoluted, I gave up writing short stories. The truth is, I am most definitely NOT a storyteller.

In later years, I turned to poetry, because poetry requires a precision and thrift with words which is sorely lacking in my prose. Nowadays, when I need to organize my thoughts and opinions on a topic, I noodle with rhymes.

Since becoming a Certified Lecturer in 2010, I have been thinking quite a bit about the beautiful Masonic rituals and lectures. The moral, spiritual, and Biblical lessons introduced therein demand further exploration and examination. I enjoy contemplating and parsing the words, metaphors, and symbols, then juxtaposing them with my own observations. The result is that I have composed a number of short poems with Masonic themes.

My compositions are vessels which feature allegory, metaphor, and content. This emphasis comes at the expense of structure, complex rhyme schemes, and elaborate meter. I feel that the message becomes lost in overly complex poetic structure. Think of my poetry as familiar, free-form and impressionistic (like the paintings of Monet, Van Gogh, etc) and not classical (like the works of Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Titian).

While they were written for my own edification (they were most definitely not written for public consumption), I did share them with a couple of my Masonic mentors for their feedback and opinion... just to validate that the themes contained therein squared with their understanding of Masonic precepts. Friends with whom I have shared my noodlings have encouraged me to publish some of my poems for others to enjoy. This blog is the result.

Initially, I shall post five poems, written over several months. Additional poems will be posted as they are written, and are likely to come in flurries. Several days or even weeks may pass between new postings. The muse that inspires me is fickle and unpredictable.