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WAGON TRIALS Foreword..
The best thing that happened to me at the annual conference of the International Society of Poets, held at the Hilton in Washington, D.C. in August 1995, was meeting Roy Gaveston-Knight and his wife Mary. It was one of those casual meetings at the lobby of the hotel and, although I did make acquaintances of other poets from U.S. and other countries, Roy and Mary turned out to be my most regular correspondents when we finally returned to our respective home bases. It was a delight receiving poems from Roy to match occasions such as significant family celebrations, even happenings reflecting the ups-and-downs of our daily married lives. Each exchange of our letters including poetry (more on Roy's side), narrowed down the distance between Wales and California. Our casual acquaintance developed and blossomed into a friendship that did not have boundaries. Some time in the course of our correspondence, I found out that Roy is a Minister and is better known as 'The Warwickshire Poet," who has won numerous awards and honors pursuing his God-given craft, and has published anthologies of poetry before. What a privilege and honor to have Roy and his wife Mary for friends!Roy's new anthology of poems entitled "Wagon Trails," is an impressive collection that immortalizes, in poetry, the United States of America. It embodies themes of every conceivable feature that glorify the grandeur that is the United States- its historic symbols, its awesome natural wonders such as the Grand Canyon; its Rockies, prairies, plains and valleys..its waterfalls, rivers, geysers. even the all-barren spectacle of Death Valley in California. Americans' co-inhabitants feature well observed in their environment, ie, the racoons, deers alligators, and many birds. He also describes vividly the manmade wonders including skyscrapers, bridges, the Statue of Liberty; ex-Presidents carved on Mt. Rushmore; the churches and cathedrals, bells ringing..even the arguable gaming pleasures of the Las Vegas experience is in poetry too.
Its rich diversity of land, people and places, from the Hawaiian Islands through Alaska and across to New England.. all these in one volume of delightful reading..its a treat!
"Wagon Trails" is a monument in poetry, a tribute to the United States of America. We salute The Warwickshire Poet for this marvellous collection.
