My new poetry book, Remember the Soldier

Today is Memorial Day. For Americans, today is a day we take some time from our busy lives and our vacation fun to remember those who gave their lives for our country. They say that “freedom isn’t free” and this is very true of our members in the military, as well as those who have served and those we have lost. There are also the POWs (Prisoners-of-War) and those who are MIA (Missing In Action).

While many think mostly of the soldiers (Army) who have served our country, I will never forget the others in other branches of the military: Navy, Air Force and Marines.

Thank you to all of the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who have sacrificed it all to defend our country.

My new poetry book, Remember the Soldier, is my tribute to all of those men, women and even dogs who have risked their lives, left their homes and families, to serve our country in the military. I also have poems in this book about the POWs, those who are MIA and, of course, the veterans. Thank you to Denise Bartlett for editing this poetry book and thank you to Charlotte Holley for creating a powerful cover for this book.

I got the idea for this poetry book while reviewing the poems I had gathered together for another poetry book. I saw a few poems with the same theme and realized they could go into one book that would honor our members in the military. I sat these aside and, eventually, the time came when I could work on this poetry book. What is interesting is that, at the time I was writing the other poems for this book, there were A LOT of stories in the magazines and newspapers about soldiers, issues in the military and even soldier dogs. I came across organizations set up to help those in the military, as well as veterans, and I even reviewed a novel for Night Owl Reviews about a Marine struggling with PTSD.

These all affected me so profoundly that I wrote a poem about them. I debated citing each source of the poem in the book but, in the end, decided not to. Even if they hadn’t been written about, all of those issues are still a part of the lives these soldiers live with while in active duty.

Another debate I had while writing this book was whether or not I should even be publishing this book at all. I have never been in the military. I have absolutely no idea what it is like to be in the military or what all they have gone through. 

Who was I to write such a book?

I am the person outside looking in. I am the Army brat who grew up hearing stories of military service and being told of relatives who have been (and still are) in the military. I am a writer who writes about people, places, things, events and life in general. I am a civilian who is most grateful to all members of the military, including those who have served, and have respect for the men and women who put on that uniform and fought for our country.

This book I have written is my way of showing that respect. I write books. This is what I do. And writing this book as a tribute to the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines is my way of honoring them and thanking them for their service.

Thank you to you all.




Blurb for Remember the Soldier:


They have fought in wars and they have fought on the frontlines. They are the soldiers who stepped up and risked it all to fight for our country. Remember the Soldier is a collection of poems honoring the men and women in uniform who have left behind their homes and families to bravely defend our country, as well as the veterans who served.

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