Stephen Michael Jester II

Ode to Legend & Myth Stephen Michael Jester II

Poetry is the art of rhythmical composition, written or spoken, for exciting pleasure by beautiful, imaginative, or elevated thoughts. Free verse is a literary device that can be defined as poetry that is free from limitations of regular meter or rhythm and does not rhyme with fixed forms. Such poems are without rhythms and rhyme schemes; do not follow regular rhyme scheme rules and still provide artistic expression. In this way, the poet can give his/her own shape to a poem how he/she desires. However, it still allows poets to move forward using alliteration, rhyme, cadences or rhythms to get the effects that they consider are suitable for the piece. Using free verse, forward is the direction in which the author strives to move. Stephen constantly examines and then reexamines the sources of his personal spirituality. God, love, life and death are his positive daily inspirations. He is also inspired by negativity, that is often directed towards his handicaps. These slights, whether real or imagined and by friend and foe alike, are perceived as challenges that have resulted in many pieces of writing. In the year 2000, at the age of twelve, Stephen recorded his first free verse poetic thoughts. They are included in "Dirt", "Friend", "Heal" and "Name". For the last fifteen years, he has continued to record his thoughts, observations and questions, while always searching for the elusive answers. Now, the year 2015 finds him contemplating topical social issues in such offerings as, "AIDS", "Gay", "Desert Slums" and "Heroes". Though the work of this poet is often strenuous and, at times, even frustrating, it is never boring. It is a creative process that is necessary to propel him forward on the journey to whatever lies ahead. In this case, it's the latest edition in his evolving literary resume. This volume puts his passion and livelihood on display for all eyes to see. It is a requiem of his dreams, that is articulated in the most poetic fashion. As a melancholy song ab