Lyrics and Poems from the Shenandoah

A close friend of mine, Robb Foster, who lives in the Virginia mountains, published a book of poetry. I asked him why. This was his response:

I write music. I have ever since I first picked up a guitar when I was 13 years old. I’m not sure if I’ve improved since then, sometimes it feels like I haven’t at all. Sometime… I think, “not so bad…” I always am looking for new things to do to help improve in every aspect of writing and recording music. From learning how to play various instruments, to how to get a better recording, how to use a digital audio workstation… It’s a huge learning curve on all fronts and maybe, one day, I’ll get good enough to actually think… “…not bad.”

One of the things I took up was writing poetry. Two reasons. One, to work at specifically describing a moment or an object (or place) and work hard on focusing only on what is pertinent to help the reader “see and feel” what I’m seeing and feeling. For me, it’s not an easy thing to do. I don’t think it is for anyone, honestly. Writing poetry, though, helps, at least it helps me. You have a few verses (or a lot of verses, depending) and work at focusing each stanza directly towards what it is that you’re describing. That’s been my approach.

Second… To work on rhyming schemes. Not silly rhyming schemes, though. Meaningful ones that work in furthering the story or moment or scene. I don’t write free verse, per se, however. That wouldn’t work towards my ultimate goal. I like to have a rhythm and meter to the words, such that, when you read the poem, it’s almost “sing songy”… I write, what I think is called, traditional poetry. I’ve found out over the years, isn’t an easy thing to do, either!! I have gained a new found love for real poets, such as Robert Frost, and Edgar Allen Poe or Marchette Chute. Wonderful, wonderful people, and amazingly talented at what they did!! I’m not saying that free verse isn’t beautiful in it’s own way, but remember… I’m working towards a goal. Better lyrical writing and traditional rhythmic poetry helps me towards that goal… I hope 🙂

Well… Jump forward a few years, to now. I have been coaxed and gently badgered by quite a lot of people who have read my poetry on my personal Facebook page to compile them into a book and I finally relented. The result was ‘Lyrics and Poems from the Shenandoah’. Available at Amazon… world wide. I’m flattered, or more to the point, amazed at what people are saying when they review the book there. I have an intense love of poetry and, given that most of us doubt what we do is of worth (at least I do), I had no idea that anyone would find something I’ve done, worth reading (or listening too, for that matter). It appears I was wrong… at least this time. I’m already looking at, possibly… writing another with the woking title “More Songs from the Shenandoah’. It’ll be set up in similar fashion. The Shenandoah I find still exists in a more or less pristine, natural place. Setting up a book about the Shenandoah; it seems natural to have a chapter that represents each season (as well as other places… like Ocracoke and the Outer Banks of NC).

Get it for yourself or as a gift!