About the Book
About the Book
Lucid Collections
“Lucid Collections” summarizes individuals the author encountered while supervising them on Probation or Parole or those in trouble under his charge as an NCO in the US Military. The collection paints a vivid picture of people struggling with addiction to alcohol and drugs, living on the fringes of society, and facing economic hardships. It captures their emotional states during critical moments in their lives; all wrapped in the author’s dream sequences to protect their identities.
Spanning over 20 years of supervision and instruction to law enforcement and military personnel, many poems reflect the dedicated employees who remained committed to their professions despite society’s reluctance to provide them with a living wage. This collection can be seen as a reporter’s narrative on the emotions of people at the lowest points of their addiction or financial crisis, grappling with credit card misuse and other forms of debt in a land of plenty, living paycheck to paycheck, or facing homelessness due to beliefs shaped by media from an early age.
The author advocates for solutions beyond government intervention, emphasizing the importance of domestic production that offers a living wage. This approach aims to help individuals on the fringes reform their lives, families, neighborhoods, and, ultimately, the nation. All net proceeds from “Lucid Collections” are dedicated to the American Legion Post 84 Homeless Veterans Fund, supporting those who have served the country and now need assistance.
About the Book
Lucid Encounter
Lucid Realms blends the boundaries between reality and dreams in a form of poetry that mirrors the methods of poets from long ago – over a hundred years back, to be exact! Surrealism is about tapping into ” psychic automatism,” aiming to convey the raw essence of thought without being constrained by logic or societal conventions. Within this compilation of works lies the artist’s depiction of individuals he encountered while overseeing them during probation or parole supervision or guiding them as a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. military. These poems vividly depict individuals grappling with alcohol and drug addiction while existing on the outskirts of society and facing challenges. The surrealistic perspective captures their emotions during moments in an artistic manner intertwined with dream sequences to safeguard their identities.
The poetry covers more than twenty years of oversight and guidance. It showcases the determination of committed law enforcement and military members who persisted despite society’s hesitance to offer them fair compensation for their work. By using ” automatism,” this compilation transforms into a journalist record that depicts the feelings of individuals during their most challenging times—dealing with addiction issues, financial struggles, debt, homeless situations, or barely making ends meet in a society filled with abundance that has been influenced by media-shaped beliefs since childhood.
About the Book
Lucid Realms
When I wrote Lucid Realms, my first book, I stood too firmly on the shoulders of those who came before me—borrowing too much from their style, rhythm, and rhyme. Writers like Allen Ginsberg, Gregory Corso, Anne Waldman, and Russian masters like Kafka shaped that work more than I care to admit. While I value their influence, I realized I needed to step away from their shadows and write with more of my own “DNA” embedded into the poetry. With Lucid Encounters, I have tried to do just that: to free my language, strip away the constraints of formality, and embrace a more honest, unrestrained voice.
I’d have sworn off writing altogether if I had to spend one more moment crafting a poem around someone else’s style or Googling another word to force a rhyme into place. Instead, this book is a departure—a venture into raw, unfiltered storytelling through poetry. Here, you’ll find the lives of those often unseen, working—or not working—jobs that society takes for granted. These are people whose compensation rarely meets the “just wages” standard and whose stories I feel compelled to share.
As with Lucid Realms, I’ve continued to rely on automated writing—letting the first thought be the best—wrapped into dream sequences, a nod to the surrealist tradition that I admire. Imagery remains central, painting vivid pictures of moments, emotional tones, and fractured realities. These stories are not my own; they belong to the countless individuals I encountered over 30 years of interviews, office hours, and home visits while serving the system.
You will find their darkest hours, struggles, and fragile humanity in these pages. Addiction, crime, and the weight of poverty are never pretty, and the psychological scars they leave are often beyond comprehension. Still, through poetry, I hope to convey their lives in a way that’s both accessible and deeply felt. Some of these stories are dark, some are fascinating, but all are unsettling—a window into the edges of society where survival is an art form and life itself is raw and unvarnished.