Beckoning: Poetry of Life

'Beckoning'. Beckoning is a unique and stimulating collection of poetry. Largely non-fiction, the author draws on the experience of a full and varied life. The range is immense, focusing on salient aspects of humanity. Always thoughtful, at times provocative, it displays unexpected hints of humor With an overriding aim of creating awareness, it will appeal to those interested in exploring their own thoughts about life. Whether young and moving into adulthood, a parent or grandparent, there are sure to be poems of interest. Similarly, if you have any involvement in youth transitioning to adulthood, there will be poems of relevance. It is poetry with far-reaching potential, in the appraisal of life and its direction.

Detailed Background:

When I was seventeen I experienced the most profound year of my life. As a result, I have sought and continue to seek the meaning of life. Having exceeded religion's three score years and ten, I have some insight - having lived a life. The inspiration for this series of poems arose from the series of six fictional novels I am writing. They all have my three grandchildren in mind; none of whom has yet reached their latter teens. The objective is the creation of life awareness, from youth onwards - as a prompt to the individual's own thoughts. Disagreement makes for healthy discussion, provided each respects the other's point of view. Life beckons and we should each be searching to add value to the lives of others, as well as our own.

In choosing the poetry subjects, I created a list of titles, relating to life. They were not ones I necessarily wanted to write about, but ones I considered important. They are written with a view to highlighting different points of view and displaying some empathy for them.

I have indulged in including three personal poems - Shaping the Author, At Peace with One's Own Death and Taking a Ride. Also included are three poems written specifically for my three grandchildren; with subjects of their choosing. They were written in February 2015 and are listed in the dedication.

I have taken a degree of liberty with the grammar for 'the sake of flow'. A few poems are conversations between two people and include italics for one of the characters.

The book does not need to be read from cover to cover, at one sitting. Rather, each poem is a discrete entity, capable of being read, and reread, in isolation. The chapters are organized by related content. The order of the poems could be changed to suit a variety of tastes or preferences.

There are nineteen chapters covering Arts, Birth, Death, Drugs, Family, Future, Health, Humor, Life, Mind, Motivation, 'People Systems', Relationships, Retrospectives, Sexuality, Space & Beyond, Technology, Time and Values.

'People Systems', amongst other subjects, includes politics, religion, freedom, control, privacy and taboos.

I have tried to cover many aspects of life but I'm aware there are subjects I have not included. There may be others I have mistakenly omitted. I am open to suggestions and may, from time to time, write an additional poem. Such poems will be freely available through Twitter. You can contact me there, at @EdwardReLife, should you wish to suggest an additional topic; or if you have a question or comment to make.