The River of Winged Dreams

Book excerpt: THE RIVER OF WINGED DREAMS both continues the series established with SONGS OF THE ANGELIC GAZE and THE BRIDGE OF SILVER WINGS, and at the same time offers reading audiences something completely new. Four major poem additions to The River of Dreams set it apart from its predecessors: "Sounds Scribbled Mixed-Media Platinum"; "Notes for an Elegy in the Key of Michael (I)"; "Notes for an Elegy in the Key of Michael (II)"; and the title poem. Each of these stands out in its own right and light. "Sounds Scribbled Mixed-Media Platinum" was written during a live sound painting performance, featuring Savannah, Georgia's, Creative Force Artists Collective and jazzman saxophonist Jody Espina, at the Jepson Center for the Arts. The two "Elegies in the Key of Michael" are among the most surprising additions to the book, first because of the unexpected death of the great Michael Jackson in June 2009, and because of the haiku-influenced form assumed by the elegies.