Another Morning: Poems by William Minor embodies a premise stated in the first line of one of the poems: "All our lives begin and end / with music." Several poems address this theme directly ("Genesis," in which the line quoted is found; "Our Dance"; "Full of It," with its song titles; and the extended poem in five parts: "The Sounds of Kauai"). All of the poems contain their own unique music in terms of rhythm and intonation-providing an engaging, and enhancing, backdrop. In 2011, I was "first grand prize winner" in a national essay contest, "What Music Means to Me," sponsored by RPMDA (Retail print Music Dealers Association). Several of the poems in Another Morning have actually been set to original music I employ when I give readings.
The appeal of music is universal, and these poems reach out to a wide range of readers in another way: they all express aspects of daily life common to both the author and the book's potential audience: the sense of shared existence we all experience in homes in which each room comes to be regarded as sacred. Specific subject matter ranges from fundamental human concerns: friendship, falling in love, longevity in marriage, aging, the decline of physical finesse to philosophical concerns: the nature of time passing, progress (perfecting and perishing); inner versus external existence, sacred and secular love, and contemplation (being a frog on a lily pad).
Extended poems celebrate inspirational thinkers such as poet Charles Peguy and philosopher Ernest Becker-and the author also takes the reader to a tropical island to explore the nature of paradise. I feel that the poems in Another Morning, transform and transcend subject matter and result in skillfully crafted work that will appeal to a wide range of readers and stand the test of time.
