Quilts are a wonderful part of our history. People who Quilt must have a talent plus patience. Quilts come from the heart.

I can write this poem - and poke a little fun - because I am one.

I find nothing more relaxing than sitting on the bank of the Mississippi River with rod in hand, visiting with friends, waiting for granddaddy catfish to come along.

This is four separate poems that have been combined into one as a dialogue between Artist and Fanatic. Each person speaks a line then has an unspoken afterthought. The four poems can also be read one after the other as a single poem which I have included after the dialogue. Reading this poem in both forms should give the reader an idea of what I am attempting here.

A very simple poem about being your true self

This one dates me. It was back when they were still testing nuclear weapons in the atmosphere - - but even back then, Spring was so beautiful . . .

The lecturer on Japanese stone gardens said the greatest skill of the gardener was to make every thing look perfectly natural, and my mind immediately gave me this haiku.

I sharpened a pencil for 5 minutes, just wondering why I was doing it, wondering why I needed to do it. I have since come to believe that all things have a mind, or at least a voice, kind of like some Asian originated religion. There has to be a reason for everything, I think.

This poem was inspired by a certain famous movie star. Keanu Reeves visited my fair city to play Hamlet in a local theatre's production. During this time, the people of the city went wild with trying to catch a glimpse of stardom and paid any amount for a ticket to the play. The poem describes how people worship their idols and forget about their own lives, making nothing of themselves.

Everyone knows that there is no way to escape death. This poem puts the morbid truth of death into words and reflects our inner fears about dying that we keep hidden from others.