Profundity: Poetry for your life cycle

Extract from author's introduction : "Having written these twenty eight poems over a fourteen year period readers may wonder why one would review and seek to publish this many thoughts at this time and not push on to develop more cohesion in style or expand at least the volume of work before sharing it with others. Recent experiences in my life have allowed me to explore the constraints of time on this life that I lead today, to treasure the days that one lives now and to observe how connected all our actions are with others' lives. A mesothelioma cancer diagnosis in August 2003 has had a delightful effect on me. A silver lining if you will that has galvanised my actions to embrace those things that I wish to ensure are part of this life that I continue to live for today. My joy in writing the poems in this collection has been awakened through the process of publishing them for you now. They range in perspective from observations of a 30 something world traveller to the life learnings of a father. My career in forest products may surprise some readers who can relate to the sustainability questions and concerns I still carry for all of us who inhabit this planet. These experiences have been focussed within my more recent understanding of the emotional and spiritual development open to all of us as we consider our own mortality. The key for me is love - a constant in my life now as I strive to live a more compassionate existence every day in some way. Success in this is relevant to how well I am able to explore the god within. My challenge to heal my body, mind, emotion and spirits has ebbed and flowed since August 2003 but a key component remains. This is the challenge to define why one is meant to be here. I believe that all our lives are connected and it remains for each of us to determine why we are meant to live this life. To the extent that poetry helps me to live more compassionately I will continue to write and share it with others. My apologies in advance go to aficionados of poetic form as I have no doubt that I have butchered well developed poetic structures in my work. For those prepared to see beyond form and into the "feeling laid bare for the feeding" I hope that the poems that follow provide you with sufficient nourishment to assist your own exploration of meaning and possibly also life. I am eager to continue to explore such meaning with any reader as the art of good communication lies in developing shared understanding. Poetry although individual can be universal, notwithstanding the constraints of language. I look forward to any feedback you may wish to give via putticks@dodo.com.au."