Chris Nelson 
A Single Rose Can Be My Garden [EPUB ebook] 
My First Pet, a Penny for Your Thoughts, Gently Down the Stream, Everything Under the Sun

A Single Rose Can be My Garden comes in three
parts along with two short essays (Right Little Madam and Golden Nuggets).
Part 1, A Penny for Your Thoughts, describes Chris’s champion show beagle,
Penny. The poems reveal an animal at one and the same time full of
mischief, silliness, and fun, as well as one capable of amazing perception,
having a sort of 6th sense, and being loving, loyal, and sensitive to an
extraordinary degree. This is evinced by the poem, Dog’s Will, where
Penny is shown to become a one woman dog – although two person
dog would be almost equally accurate. Part 2, Gently Down the
Stream is a celebration of modern life as the author experienced
it in some cases, while in other cases, only imagined/dreamt of it
being so. These inspired poems, demonstrate the amazing ability
of the author to put himself into another person’s shoes, which
might also be described as having an instinctive feel for all aspects
of life, even those not personally experienced. An example of
such a poem is the poem, Babies, as well as, regrettable as
it may be, Romantic Love. (at least after a night that,
although NOT HIS FAULT, made his life much different
than the norm, which is all he ever wanted it to be).
The expanded version of the title – A Single Rose Can be My Garden,
A Single Friend My World – captures this idea very well!!!!!
Part 3, Everything Under the Sun, is a pulling together of
diverse threads on a variety of subjects, having perennial
interest and relevance, which the author feels he has a good
feel for/knowledge of, and can thus offer sage advice on/
be a voice of reason/or be a fountain of wisdom (not youth! LOL!)
Of all the poems, the author is most passionate in his abhorrence
of war, which he was raised by a German mother who had gone through
living hell during the terrible bombing campaigns of civilians
during WWII. To relate my feelings on war, let me quote from
a well known book, by a Swiss author, called ‘The Good
Soldier Schweik’. Schweik, in a desperate attempt to reach
the enemy across No Man’s Land, shouts: For God’s sake
don’t shoot! Don’t you realize there are PEOPLE over here!
If that isn’t saying something and saying it well…!