PREFACE: IN HONOR OF POETRY MONTH AND THOSE POETS WHO ARE FELT NOT JUST READ.
POETRY IS A DYNAMIC EXPRESSION OF OUR INFINITE SPIRIT.
Poetry is so personal it is hard to convince readers to take the time to feel the words, not just read them. So, while driving my car to my CPA accounting and software clients, some one million miles, I recited my feelings about real life. So, all five of my poetry books were spoken into a tape recorder, over 35 years before I decided to publish them. All poems were entitled by a word from my Eighth wonder, my mind, then the Ninth Wonder my brain, then the Tenth Wonder my heart, then the Eleventh Wonder my soul and finally the Twelfth Wonder my infinite spirit.
Until then my secretary Jane Jenson had typed all five books, 2,500 poems, 3,200 pages, 320,000 words that I put into 12 three ring binders for later arrival, in a digital format for publishing. This has taken 10 additional years to republish and re release them to a broader market. My wife is my editor and best critic … She said my poetry is better said than read, so I read them to her every night, of our 63 year marriage. Over the years I have been, for the family of four children, twelve grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren, the photographer and poet for events, weddings, funerals, good times, sad times, and now future times.
My first published poetry book The Eighth Wonder of the World was motivated by the wonder of the mind that we all possess. In the subsequent WONDER-books it was about poetry combined with photography as the wonderful things we can do with the lens and the pens from the undiscovered planet called the mind and the combined magic of the soul, heart, brain and spirit. In other words, all five Wonders are about you, and I the feeler-readers plus 8 billion neighbors on the good ship Earth.
In my poetic world we come from the same place and return to the same destination. While, at the same time, we are all different in how we use our wonders to live our wonderful life. If you can follow my thinking in these five books we can eventually bond in values, faith and aspirations. And still be different in our experiences and outcomes. It’s truly a wonderful world we live in.
In the series of Wonder-books I have, because of the CPA in me, used the word God 562 times and faith 153 times though I tend to be an agnostic, skeptic. However, in THE NINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH WONDERS OF THE WORLD sequels to THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD I write that each man and woman must discover their own WORLD and faith. Their life is about the results, not the reason for living strong with our physical bodies revolving around a hot sun, and wonder-ing under a cold moon how we got here and where it’s taking us. What more can a poet ask for but to write about, if not to wonder how my own eighth wonder world my mind is connected to THE TWEVFTH WONDER OF THE WORLD, my spirit. I take the feeler-readers on a short story long trip on this good ship enterprise.
Life is both warm and cold, sometimes hot, sometimes bold. It depends on each of us and our circumstances that either enhances or detracts from our dreams. But always we make our own reality by our choices and rejoice in our gladness or our sadness. Of the 8 billion people on this planet not a one is exactly a replica of another … we have genetically puzzled the PhD’s and scientists into submission and are not solving how a bug can have a brain and sex drive but no other individual powers except survival weapons … and half of us reject evolution as a part of the answer … and the rest pray to a spirit that formed us and is in charge of directing our future. Both are assumptive at best.
In this book answers are proposed to questions never asked … this is graffiti of the Universal miracle of the planet called the mind, that connects us all to that elusive answer to who is God … the brain and heart are physical, the mind and soul are metaphysical connecting our spirit to the TWELFTH WONDER OF OUR UNIVERSE called God.
As In THE EIGHTH, NINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH WONDERS EVOLVING, REVOLVING AND INVOLVING THE ALMIGHTY SPIRIT OF OURSELVES.
INTRODUCTION TO WHY THIS ADVENTURE?
What inspired me to recite these five poetry books? I have been writing and reciting poetry for sixty years. I have had some published in poetry contests but never published collections of my own. My inspiration came from my wife who is an artist, my mother who was a poet, my sister is a playwright, my son is a songwriter and musician, my daughters are artists and write poems so I had to step up with something creative since my previous books were all based on business topics.
Poetry is so personal it is hard to convince readers to take the time to feel the words, not just read them. The Eighth Wonder of the World, my first poetry book, recited not written, presents something we all possess and generally don’t realize its value. So for the fifth Wonder book to resonate with the feeler/reader a love of poetry will initially be the reason it felt … after that it will be the value to each reader as they capitalize on the Eighth Wonder we all possess.
What is the overall theme (central topic, subject or concept) of your book? The Eighth Wonder is the first poem and the theme for my first poetry book. I reveal in that poem what the eighth wonder is and its value to each person on earth. I don’t want it revealed until they read that first poem and hopefully will use that Eighth Wonder to find the other wonders of the world … then read the rest of THE NINTH, TENTH, ELEVENTH AND TWELFTH WONDERS OF THE WORLD exercising their new found EIGHTH WONDER.
Where does this book take place? It resides inside every person on earth.
Who are the main characters and why are they important to the story? The characters are every person on earth pursuing and catching the wonders of the world.
Why do you think that this book will appeal to readers? It delves into most every ology (a subject of study) …. Analogy, Theology, biology, geography, psychology, astrology, anthropology, ology, ideology, chronology, physiology, meteorology, sociology, etc. That is the power of the Eighth Wonder each of us possess for delving into the over 1 million words in the English language. The author and the book are the enabler for this study of humanity. That I call Humanism instead of all the other isms.
How is your book relevant in today’s society? Thought from our mind and heart are the most powerful weapon we each have for making a difference in the world. Humanism over Communism (long for commune), Marxism (short for disaster), Racism (excuse with no peaceful coexistence), (wokeism the past is now). The Eighth Wonder will stimulate that thought process whether it’s accepting or rejecting the thoughts presented. THE NINTH WONDER OF THE WORLD capitalizes on the breadth of the topics and the twists and turns of the Eighth Wonder. The TENTH AND ELEVENTH WONDERS continue using the English language to delve into the mysteries of the world and cosmos. The final Wonder book THE TWELFTH WONDER OF THE WORLD is dedicated to the human spirit connected to God and infinity. That I call Humanism instead of all the other isms.
Is there any subject currently trending in the news that relates to your book? Evolution, creation, love, politics, war, peace, leadership, health of the nation … over 2,500 short story subjects intended to stimulate felling, thinking, understanding and knowledge.
What makes your book different from other books like it? I googled the title and the Eighth Wonder of the World and it gives me a travel guide not a poetry book. The Ninth Wonder is a female wrestler. So, it’s totally unique in title and content. Also, each Wonder makes the reader exercise their brain in a positive way. Each poem is a story about that subject or topic and is personalized by letting the reader make their own interpretation of that feeling about the subject.
What do you want readers to take away from your writing? Poems are short stories with a subject, a plot where at the end of every poem there is a concluding sentence that sums up the meaning to the author who wants the reader to go WOW, I see … said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw. Some tongue in cheek and others meant to be meaningful to the reader, if at all possible.
How did you learn about the 2,500 topics? (i.e. personal experience, education, etc.) Since I have personally experienced most of the Wonders of the World it’s easy for me to write from and about them. I am an aspiring author, not a schooled technician, so most of the poems are from the heart not the head. As I state above and in the introduction to the book all of the poems started with a tape recording of the basic theme and put down on paper by my secretary put into a three-ring binder and thirty some years later entered into my computer to produce the final product.
My first four WONDER books and this collection of poems are the best of the 2,500 dictated and the basis for the published books. Not all of them merit publishing so I have to be selective and choosy as I am working on this the fifth book titled The Twelfth Wonder of the World. Regardless the feeler-reader is the best judge of each word, line, rhythm and wisdom of the poem.
Is there a particular passage from this book you’d like us to utilize? If so, please provide me with a release form for approval. The first poem in my poetry books set the ball in motion for pursuing the ology’s and subjects … while the table of contents directs the reader to subjects of their choosing and each poem is a short story for them to enjoy and deploy in their own life. Take note that throughout the 400+ pages per book, are sectional tabs and images for the reader to use to pause … for a diversion or a picture I took of my thoughts.
IT’S A WONDERFUL WORLD WE LIVE IN.
By Jerry Rhoads
If you are able to navigate the
Eighth Wonder the mind
Ninth Wonder the soul
Tenth Wonder the heart
Eleventh Wonder the brain
Twelfth Wonder the spirit
As a journey of the human genome DNA and organs
Reproducing life love and prosperity
All connected to the metaphysical
World you will be more aware of how
Wonderful you physically are
Then rededicate yourself to
Honoring that Wonder of the human Spirit
During its infinite destination
There are 8 billion humans
Making up our Wonderful World
We ultimately control our humane but not the domain
Environment-social systems-political leaders
Religious Clerics-Enterprises-Institutions
Until confronted by the
Wonders of the Universe and Cosmos
Where the energy of our spirits
Coexist with our incarnate future
Don’t waste it on now
Wondering if or how
Just enjoy its deploy
From the White Holes the womb
To the Black Holes the tomb
Our energy has always been
To live on again
Regardless of alligence or sin
What are the five poetry books I have written?
a. The Eighth Wonder of the World (first poem first poetry book)
Undiscovered thoughts
Unused words that rhyme
Unspent moments in time
What a crime
The tenth planet is left spinning
In the brine
What is this thing of you speak
Is it about today
Or is it next week
Prophet tell me, its answers I seek
What is this wonder
You ponder
“Well it’s a planet alright
Carried with you day and night
Many have found it
And are using it right
To be perceptive
And somewhat bright”
Like the tenth planet
This psychic wonder
Is owned by every man and woman
They’ve had it since birth
So they could walk and wander
Left to their willingness and worth
At hand to accept or squander
A nearby diamond
At ready commands
Unspoken words and schemes
Misused ideas and plans
Broken dreams, ranting pleas
And if by chance
Lost to its mental disease
It’s a wonder a haven
Numbering eight billion souls
Beyond the reaches of heaven
Determining our fate
To use before it’s too late
Spinning our own DNA web
As the sign, of that mental state
Linking us to the spiritual ebb
Of our immortal fate
The seven wonders are both
Outer and inner space
Well known to the world
With their fame unfurled
For all of mankind
To find with their Eighth Wonder
Called the mind
To find with their Ninth Wonder
Called the Soul
To find with their Tenth Wonder
Called the Heart
To find with their Eleventh Wonder
Called the Brain
To find with their Twelfth Wonder
Called their infinite Spirit
Connecting us all to the sublime
A metaphysical Solar system divine
The brain and the heart are physical,
The mind the soul and the infinite spirit are metaphysical connecting
All of us to the Twelfth Wonder of our Universe called our spiritual God.
b. The Ninth Wonder of the World (second poetry book) of our soul.
c. The Tenth Wonder of the World (third poetry book) of our heart.
d. The Eleventh Wonder of the World (fourth poetry book) of our brain.
e. The Twelfth Wonder of the World (fifth in the series) of our infinite spirit.
f. The Boomers Are Coming (a self-health book for 77 million unhealthy baby boomers filing for Medicare every day and Social Security Every week)
g. Never Too Old To Live (a self-health book for long livers)
h. America in the Red Zone (a self-health book pursuing a Green End Zone, versus Blue Zone self-help wishes)
i. Restore Elder Pride second edition (self-health books for self-help failures)
j. Remedy Eldercide (a self-health book for self-help readers)
k. The Monopsony Game (a macro and micro America the bountiful economic analysis)
l. Failing Government Taketh Away (a political analysis of entitlements)
m. American Enterprise Swing Vote Party Trilogy (a contemporary IGN-analysis of two party gridlock politics)
n. Basic Accounting and Budgeting for Long Term Care Facilities (standard process cost accounting for health care measuring where outcome means income)
o. Americania 1984 2084 2184 (a novel remembering that George Orwell is right)
p. Mancology (the science of managing human behavior and value)
q. Cost Accounting for Long term care facilities (AI standardized process cost accounting and revenue stream management, are pursuing outcomes as a means for income).
u. Americana (revisiting George Orwell’s 1984 prediction happening in 2084)
Do you have an existing website? If so, please provide the web address. Xlibris and I are collaborating, creating with a number of publishers a collection of my books on a web sites into the followingcalled www.jerryrhoadsauthor.com and www.americanenterprisepoliticalparty.org and www.lifestylesforaging.com OR
Poetry is so personal it is hard to convince readers to take the time to feel the words, not just read them. So, please personally feel them and experience the wonders of your world, don’t just read them in my poems.
