Rhymes, Reflections, and Proverbs by Gordon Alexander, poet
Meet the Poet
"People often ask me how I began writing poetry. One day in November 2019 I wrote my first poem, "Life". Then my daughter suggested I write nine more to send to our family for Christmas. I have not been able to stop writing ever since I got started."
Gordon Alexander, poet
At one time before his retirement Gordon Alexander traveled an average of 50,000 miles a year for his job as an executive for a major automobile manufacturer. His path in the automobile business began at age 12 in his father's auto repair shop in New Orleans. As a young man he was hired later as a mechanic, instructor of mechanics, and eventually during his 31 year tenure excelled to sales and service training, customer service, marketing, and owner communications.
He is a proud veteran paratrooper of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. An avid reader, gardener, and gourmet cook, he now devotes his days to reflecting on life and has a daily practice of writing.
His first book Rhymes and Reflections was published in July 2020, followed by More Rhymes and Reflections in August 2021. Devotional Rhymes and Reflections, a collection of poems with spiritual content was self published in summer of 2022. With over 200 poems completed, his fourth book titled Still More Rhymes and Reflections was published in 2023.
About the Poems
Gordon Alexander's approach uses astute perceptions expressed with artful rhyming. Each poem is titled with a single word and does not intend to lure the reader into any special meaning. Instead, the poems are straight forward reflecting a personal awareness, exploration, and expressions of truth or experience. Clear and concise, the words mean exactly what they say as the author creatively plays with the rhythmic consonants and musical tones of vowels that embellish the topic.
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The author's inspiration comes from personal observations witnessed from afar or in conversation with people known and unknown. The topics are broad in nature; some humorous, some poignant and philosophical. One of the strengths of the poet's writing is the universality of content that makes them accessible, entertaining, and almost educational at times. His poetry collections do not require any chronological order to read and enjoy the poems, making it suitable for short or long poetic reflections that give all readers freedom and flexibility.
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Gordon Alexander has joined the ranks of American poets from the country's midwestern region. His style is reminiscent of Ogden Nash's word play in poetry complemented with strains of older Scottish poet Gerald Manley Hopkins who used the rhythm of ordinary speech. In the end, reading these poems will heighten everyone's appreciation of the power of words, as well as encourage more personal presence in life that transforms even the most ordinary moment into a revelation.
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- Catherine Thompson