Soul Tracks III
A Life-long Anthology of Personal Poems
by
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Excerpts from Soul Tracks III Morning Commute Clouds riffle across the slate Spewing warm drops of polluted beads Windshields catch brown stains As drivers stare through foggy glances Squeezing the wheel and anchoring the foot As traffic wheezes and yawns like a drunken conga line Return to Maine The stars were veiled by unruffled fog Vacuumed up by morning sun Leaving glittery drops on emerald green Awaking some as others sleep Tonight I’ll have another try To see that grand majestic sky Safety First Helmets, life jackets, safety belts, child restraints Guard rails, speed limits, stop signs and lights Police, FBI, Secret Service, NSA, DEA, ATF, TSA Safe? Barbed wire, walls, bunkers, Kevlar vests Bombs, rockets, guns, missiles Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, CIA, Special Ops Secure? Wealth, power, health, entertainment, retirement Success, recognition, recreation, beauty Tycoon, winner, star, hero, achiever Happy? It’s Not My Fault My ancestors made me this way A perfect match to my DNA They passed along these genes Their passions and their dreams It’s not my fault I act like this The way I am was promised Whether right or wrong Inherited, stored, and passed along Busy People Busy people no time to talk Share your space, go for a walk Busy people trying to impress – Self-importance subtly stressed “Gotta Go,” their popular mantra Pointing to lines on their banner Look at me disappear to Projects and people more dear Heart Check Used cars are traded when costly to run Shinier choices include warranty and fun But this body I must keep Nothing to do but weep No one to extend my warranty No parts in inventory Insurance premiums rise, actuaries know I am a risky investment for longevity Eating cheese and “crème brulee” Increased cholesterol and pounds I weigh Doctor re-checked result with chagrin “You appear young but not within Lipitor, aspirin, prescriptions for life Here’s one for making love to your wife” Bring Back Nature Insulated from our natural world By combustion machines, ambient lights and belching speakers I wish to hear a child’s laugh, a cat’s purr, a wind’s whistle A cow chewing its cud, a dove’s coo Water flow and snowflakes fall To gaze at stars along a moonlit road Feel the morning dew on my bare feet And listen to the night sleep and new day awake Sanitized from unwanted noise, fumes, and light
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About the Book
Soul Tracks III is a collection of nearly 90 poems penned over lifetime of living and loving. Amusing, insightful, heart-wrenching, and brilliant, these reflections will surprise you with their depth of thought and feeling, and a few will leave you sighing and smiling. The author embraces a remarkable range of subjects from being a chocoholic to observing man’s litter to appearing yet again in traffic school to ruminating on the difficulty of listening and to mourning the death of a friend. Soul Tracks III is to be savored either over time or consumed in one sitting. It draws readers in and holds them captive from one awe-inspiring verse to the next. Enjoy.
About the Author
Tom Mitchell holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University and a Master in Liberal Arts from the University of Chicago. In addition to Soul Tracks III, his previous writings include a personal memoire, New England Son, and earlier editions of Soul Tracks I and II. Mitchell has been involved in the information technology industry essentially since its inception and served as founder and chief technologist of a global IT services firm. He resides in Chicago with his wife Rosemarie. They have four children and nine grandchildren.