Some Rhyme No Reason

Some Rhyme, No Reason is a collection of poems that reflect my response(s) to life, in general. I was inspired to "collect" them by a member of the amazing group of poets to which I have the pleasure of belonging. These lovely people, Alyce, Barry, Carlos, Jazz, Oak, and Victoria, provide loving, gentle criticism and, more importantly, they keep me writing. Writing poetry keeps me sane and helps me "deal". In lieu of the great American novel, I give you "Some Rhyme" in hopes it might help you "deal" as well.

I have found by giving events that are sad, worrisome or whimsical a second glance I could often give it a new look. Even find it a funny bone or give it a sense of humor. My writings have their own rhyme, rhythm and reason for being. An internal tide pushes the thoughts, then pulls...compelling again, drawing my pen to the paper. Just as the moon creates and ebb and a flow, words too wash back then forth tumbling and soaking the page.

On 29 April 1841, a week after his thirty-fourth birthday, Louis (Aloysius) Bertrand died of tuberculosis. This malady, his destitute poverty, and his errant existence qualify him as a quintessential poete maudit, whose one great work, Gaspard de la Nuit: Fantasies a la maniere de Rembrandt et de Callot, was not published until 1842. Now widely considered as the first collection of prose poems to appear in France, Gaspard inspired writers like Baudelaire, Mallarme, Huysmans, and Andre Breton. This study offers a rereading of Bertrand's book grounded in modern critical theory, including the work of Derrida, Bakhtin, Barbara Johnson, Genette, Lacoue-Labarthe, and Nancy. It elaborates a new perspective on a work that contains all the paradoxes of the genre, with which theorists still struggle.

This book is a collection of rhymes dating as far back as 1945, having been written and modified over the years, by the author mostly for his own amusement, but with the belief he had something to say about the world he lived in.

Words can be a comfort to anyone who reads them. Words carry the voice of people, their experiences and beliefs. It is words that connect us, words that bring us closer. Through these words people find each other and themselves. Such is the power of words, the power of expression. This book is an anthology of poems written in such words: words that found me and words that are bound to find you. Each one of us finds a special meaning in words, meanings that change continuously. We must find our own special meaning. These poems are not about politics or agendas, these are about feelings, about thoughts that most of us have but we hardly give importance to. These poems take form from my experiences as a normal teenager and recount every tiny thing that made me think. These poems are merely a teenager’s thoughts.

This collection of poetic reflections is a rich resource for a faithful imagination. Michael Coffey's poems explore the deep questions and joyful affirmations of Christian faith. Never settling for easy answers or straight-forward interpretations, Coffey's writing invites the reader into new spiritual territory where the strange and unexpected, the beautiful and painful, become an encounter with the holy. Anyone preparing to preach or teach on biblical texts will find here words that inspire, challenge, and create new inroads for faith. Anyone seeking meditative or devotional readings of Scripture will find a companion for thoughtful reflection and prayer. Covering most of the Sundays and primary festivals of the church's liturgical year, these writings will enrich all who plan, prepare, and participate in worship that spans the vast themes of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and the ordinary Sundays.