Sheltered Moments

In his third volume of poetry, Dr. Fred Smiley's Sheltered Moments: People, Places, and Things offers a series of prose poems to capture small, meaningful life moments that often go unrecorded. The introduction explains how and why the text was written, describes the poems' three tiers, and adds complementary quotes. The author then divides the book into three domains: real and imagined people, past and present places, and meaningful and eventful things. Built upon Dr. Smiley's experiences as student, teacher, professor, and journeyer, this book contains adventures of mind, body, and spirit. Readers are invited into such divergent locations as a beach walk, a circus sideshow, and an old theater. The poems offer unforgettable characters, including a fragile homeless person, a wary town crier, and a unique professional wrestler. Rich with pathos and wit, with a mixture of philosophy, what-might-have-been, or what-might-be, the author also interweaves evocative asides and wry commentaries. Sheltered Moments: People, Places, and Things offers readers the enjoyment of the selections. However, Dr. Smiley also invites readers to compile and write their own life experiences and poetic journeys.