introduction

The short of it is much too long;
I’ll only give the gist.
Inferno. XIII: 93
Dante

Here for your perusal is a new collection of selected selections from the vaults. For those of you who so kindly plowed through the original hard-copy ‘boxed set’ of poetastrophy (remaindered copies of the rare edition still available) thank you for returning. And for new readers thank you for at least browsing this far.

The pieces in darker down were culled from writings that for the most part were first set down between 2013 and 2016. It has taken from then until now to get them to where they are today.

Also, special thanks to all of you whose kind words of approbation have provided encouragement. Among the kindest remarks regarding poetastrophy was that the pieces felt like “secular meditations.” It is hoped that these new musings might be a source of ideogenesis that will spark some small reflection that, at the least, will be not wholly unpleasurable, particularly in these eerily strange times in which we’ve found ourselves.

Which being the case, the irony of a work titled “darker down” is not lost on the author. It should be noted the title was set upon several years back when the pieces began to be compiled and work putting this new collection online was begun prior to the pandemic. So it is with further irony that these pieces at last “see the light of day,” at a time that has the feeling of a long dark tunnel. It is my fervent wish that we come through this together feeling a little bit new and improved. And together we can all help one another feel our way through this darker down.

Peace and Love, d
Inverness, CA. July, 2020