The Scroll of the Violin: Poems 4

Poetry is about experience. What it means to be alive and mortal is explored here. These poems cover a range of philosophy, religion, belief and unbelief: religious poems, atheist poems, questioning poems, and answering ones. There is trial, failure, success, relationships, and joy in this volume of 69 poems. There are mirrors, sonnets, rondeaux, some rhymed irregular, one haiku, and blank verse. The title poem was a satisfying one to write; I had tried this concept in other ways before. As for religion, I am convinced that there is deep value in all beliefs. Perhaps in some sense every religion is true. Or, to slightly misquote Richard Dawkins, if there is a God out there, it could be a lot bigger and more complicated than what's in an easily stated religious description. As always, ambiguity may be present and it is deliberate. Some poems will benefit from second and third readings. You'll figure this out, as these poems were written for us, and that includes you.