Steven G. Alston

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

I have been writing poetry for over thirty years. I have published a book of poetry titled "Dreams and Visions." I have also completed a novelette titled "The Glove". I am a lifetime member of the International Society of Poets. I am a member of the A.A.R.P. I am presently employed by Burnham Service Corporation. I am also an independent Watkins representative. Aside from writing poetry and fiction I enjoy sports. My personal philosophy is this: dare not dismiss the dreamer, he can't dismiss his dream.

To Those Whe Went Before Us

Sometimes in our forgetfulness we attach too much
importance to ourselves.
We think too much about our own thoughts, our own ideas.
We think that before we came, nothing happened that had meaning.
If we had been on the scene in earlier times(we think),
There is much we could have done differently, better.
But we forget and have forgotten those who went before us.
Those who went before us make even our thoughts of
self-importance possible and without them we would not be.

Men Speak

Men speak of war, of conflict and racial strife
Of heartaches in abundance all the infirmities of life.
But the tounge is silent, no nothing can be heard
About he who helps his neighbor with a kind, considerate word.
Men speak of corruption, of folly and disease
Of stealing and killing and all the evil that one sees,
But when it comes to kindness not a word of it is spoken
As though kindness is nothing, a mere gesture, a mere token.
Men speak of gloom and doom-of the ending of the world
Of turbulence and misery, of an evil flag unfurled,
But does one speak of love, of beauty and devotion?
Yes, but the message is oft drowned out by all the
negative commotion.

The Dreamer

Dare not dismiss the dreamer
He with his head in the clouds
As but a silly bumbling fool
An impractical simpleton who as a rule
Keeps his distance from the intelligent crowd
He sticks with Bulldog tenacity
To a great thought in his mind
The dreamer has a great capacity
To cope with words unkind
Thrown at him by doubters
Disbelievers and "friends"
Dare not dismiss the dreamer, he can't dismiss his dream