Between Darkness and Light - Coal Eyes and Fight for Right: Poetic Pathways

By Roy Eugene Peterson

Between Darkness and Light poeticizes struggles for good and evil, shining a light in dark places and then reflecting the light of goodness. The range of poems is from darkly serious, "Coal Eyes," to light and entertaining, "How to Hit upon a Girl. The poems are from the heart of a soldier, statesman, singer, and scholar. The poems cover four decades of the author's life and are his complete collection.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 11, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456716233

Roy Eugene Peterson

Roy Peterson is a poet, song writer, and award winning bass voice singer. His book, American Attache in the Moscow Maelstrom is about his adventures as a U.S. Army attache in the former Soviet Union. Roy retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the U.S. Army, Military Intelligence Branch, with the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star among other decorations.

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© 2011 Roy Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 03/08/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4567-1624-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-1623-3 (e-b)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010918974

Printed in the United States of America

Bloomington, Indiana

Foreword and Dedication

Between Darkness and Light is a collection of poetry dedicated to everyone who shaped my experiences over the years as a Soldier (Army Officer), Statesman (U.S. Foreign Commercial Service), Singer (Song Writer and First Place Winner in Singing Contests), and Scholar (3 MA Degrees and Professor).

Over the years I occasionally felt moved to put pen to paper and write a poem to memorialize a feeling, mood, or event. This collection is the result not of consistently writing, but of brief interludes of contemplation over a long period of time.

Table of Contents

Part I Society

Coal Eyes

I Watched A Country Lose Her Soul

Beware The Ivy Bound Towers

Part II God And Country

Awake Young Eagles

Fight For Right

Our Selfishness

Part III Nature

Night Storm

New Birth

A Brook’s Way

The Sea

Paradise Found

Part IV Reflections

Little Trick Of Laughing

The World’s With You

Pane Of Another Day

Clear Image

The Best Comes Last

Take A Step

Contrast

A Day Of Grace

Tribute To Dad

Elegy For Mom

One Spring Day

Part V Music

Blackberry Picking Morning, Minnesota Kind-Of-A-Day

Tucson Sunday Morning

1 Corinthians 13

I May Never Pass This Way Again

I’ll Meet You Tomorrow

Part VI Old West Stories

Lost Miner

Legend Of Lame Johnny

Part VII Love And Consequences

Becky Was A Twirler

Last Date (Tune of Last Date)

Finding Your Love

Wishing

Cup Of Love

Counter Invictus?

Pretty Little Texas Girls (Music)

Though Worlds Die And Silent Be

Part VIII Senseless, But Fun

How To Hit Upon A Girl

Love My Soda In A Bottle

Southern Rebel

I Shot An Arrow

Christmas Letter 2009

Part IX My Phrases, My Promise And My Prayer

My Phrases

My Promise

My Children

My Prayer

My Benediction

My Motto

Part I

Society

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Coal Eyes

by Roy Eugene Peterson (1965)

Coal Eyes, encased in a black limitless midnight of fur;

Glowing as though to say, I have a hidden secret.

Indeed not one, but multitudinous they are;

Gleaned from my wanderings down alleys where people try to forget.

I wander through those back streets little known to most people

Where men are their basest selves and there’s nothing to prevent

The secret sins of the hidden slums, where enfeebled

Lie the morals of the heart in misery and contempt.

Little there is to be done for those wasters of life.

Life for them is something to escape from.

They shall find their escape, but their strife

Will not cease with death, when