I initially wrote what the poem, “Rain,” was about, but I felt that trying to explain it only detracted from the poem itself. What do you think? You’re welcome to leave a comment.
You’ll see two different visual versions below. One is the plain text, and the other is from the framed print available on my shop.
“Rain” is available as a framed print. (See below)
I don’t have to explain what this poem is about. It wasn’t an easy poem to write, considering I put the pen to paper a couple of months after losing my dad. It’s been almost a year since, and the feelings I have today are different from what I felt when it first happened. If you’ve dealt with loss, as most people have, I’m sure you know what I mean, if you’ve dealt with loss.
But what is just as universal as loss is the passage of time. I hope you enjoy this poem, and be sure to check out the prints on my shop.
Here’s a poem about why I love the winter and the cold that many people prefer to avoid. You can purchase the framed poem print (with the fat squirrel) on my shop here.
Below is one of my recent poems available in print on my new store. The version on the store includes a background image taken at Beavertail State Park, located at the southern end of Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.
Because this is best viewed in print (actual size 12″ x 18″) I’m sharing the poem below with a white background, so you can easily read the full text on any device.
Some stories stick with you—because they come from the things that shape us.
When my dad passed away last year, I’d already been grappling with what I wanted to write next. Losing him changed me, and in a lot of ways. I’m still trying to figure out how, but one thing became clear…
I wanted to tell deeper, more character-driven stories.
That means, in 2025, I’ll be releasing two new novels and a whole bunch of short stories that will be outside my usual crime and mystery genres. You’ll find my same style of writing, but without bad guys and guns and dead bodies.
In the first novel coming this year, you’ll meet Jimmy Russo, a single dad who started working for Narragansett Brewery, in Rhode Island, two weeks out of high school.
Twenty-two years later, in the summer of 1981, the brewery closes down for good. With it comes change and challenges, starting with a teenage son soon leaving for a college Jimmy’s not sure he can afford. Not without a job. Throw in an economy in the dumps, and Jimmy’s back is up against the wall.
The second book, to be released late spring 2025, is about a man named Leo who walks out of a Rhode Island prison for the first time in eighteen months to find his girlfriend has left him. And when he learns his deceased father’s dog is missing, things only go downhill from there…
Be on the lookout for more about both stories and more updates. The short stories, so far, carry similar themes. Life, loss, relationships, love, redemption, getting older…
As long as I’ve lived outside of New England, I’ve always missed being there. By writing my new novels set in the area, and specifically Rhode Island (where I’m “from”) I can take readers back there with me, through my stories.
But I’ve also set them at a time, in the 1970’s and 80’s, I feel I remember well. At least well enough to write about them.
Those memories paint a picture of fun and simplicity. It’s a time I miss more lately, when technology didn’t drive our lives. (We were led to believe we’d live better thanks to technology. In some ways, it’s true. But I’m afraid the jury’s still out.)
The truth is, I was also just a kid back then. Everything’s pretty great when you’re a kid. I’m sure for adults, it wasn’t all fun and games. In fact, I know it wasn’t. There were plenty of challenges, as there are today.
The more things change, the more they stay the same…
I’m still working on the different ways I’ll be sharing my short stories going forward, beyond the traditional ways. I’m planning to post more stories as blog posts on this site, even if temporarily, prior to getting them in print. But I’d also like to present stories in different ways, utilizing more audio. There’s a good chance I’ll be narrating my own books and short stories, while combining it with video.
I also have been writing more poetry, and have some framed poems available on my new shop.
I hope you’ll give my new stories a try once they’re available. (And soon I’ll be putting together a few different ways to share my short stories with you. Stay tuned!)
There’s lot more to tell you about, so please stick around. If you aren’t on my email list yet, please sign up in the box below for all the updates and stories as they come.