Lee N. Hulm

Songs of the Meadowlark

First Edition, March 2006. 120 pages.
Sentiment Series # 6
ISBN: 1-931139-39-3

The poems of Songs of the Meadowlark are from the heart. Related primarily to my early history on the South Dakota prairie in the 1940's and 50's, they are intended to give the reader a new and deeper insight into the true flavor of farm and ranch life on the high plains during that era. For those of you whose growing years can also be traced to that distinctive time and place, many of these poems will prompt you to recall special memories of your own. I believe there is value in doing so. All too often, it seems to me, we become so caught up in the day-to-day activities of our lives that we are inclined to neglect our heritage; yet our roots are destined to remain an important part of who we are. In my own case, upon reflection I often see my father or my uncle or others significant to my early value programming in the attitudes and behaviors that I model; and I am thankful for their tutelage. It is my intention, therefore, that these poems bring to mind the simple pleasures of life on the farm in bygone days: independence, imagination, harmony with nature and lack of pretense. Rural farm living allowed for a contemplative approach to life that I believe has been drowned out by all the noise and hubbub of modern times. It appears to me that we are about to lose an entire value system, and I don't know how we go about replacing the spirit and tenacity of our ancestors. Although writing poetry is something I do for pure enjoyment, I take the role seriously. For that reason I try to make the verse straightforward enough to evoke the homespun charm of the family farm in a way that is accessible to all readers. Writing verse odes to the rural lifestyle of my childhood is gratifying to say the least, and I think the people who read these poetic connections to the past should be able to enjoy them as well. Let me suggest in all sincerity that these poems will become for you a pleasurable adventure, not one foreign in nature and dependent on dreams of what lies ahead but one precious to our heritage and based on an appreciation for what has gone by.

Lee N. Hulm

 

Price of the Book

$ 11.00 each $ 2.00 shipping and handling