Backstory

About the Book

Influenced by such poets as Lowell, Roethke, Bishop, Frost, Stevens, and inspired by the sacred books of various faiths, Chuck O'Neil's poems speak with elegant, plainspoken reverence. They bear witness to history with clarity and compassion. They affirm hope and seek out the transformation of anger and regret."Backstory" sings praise for the blessings of a life lived in the present moment, all the while bringing healing to the past and embracing the future.

You could be tempted
On a morning like this,
When trees lift leaves and sway,
To believe in halcyon days again -
That somehow, in the face of all you know
About chaos and creaturehood,
These high, breezy, sun-soaked days
Could be your red-letter days:
So weary are you now of
Dousing everything with doubt.
So great is your desire for
Equilibrium,
Wings.


from Red-letter Days

About the Author

Chuck O'Neil has been writing and publishing his poetry for over thirty years. A graduate of Providence College, he spent ten years living in a commune, and since 1979 has owned an architectural woodworking business. He lives in Milford, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Celeste, where they have lived since 1982. They have four children.