New Review of On Wings of Gentle Power on Amazon.com

By: Patrick Trammell, Vestavia Hills, AL

Powerfully Written, Beautifully Packaged, March 25, 2010

This review is from: On Wings of Gentle Power (Paperback) On Wings of Gentle Power, Barry Yelton's second book and first poetry offering, takes the reader on a slow, soulful walk through life's rich journey. Barry Yelton is a technically talented and imaginative fiction writer, as proven in his debut novel, Scarecrow in Gray. In this work, he reveals a man grounded deeply in his roots and his time. His poetry is artfully crafted, yet offers vivid imagery of life, death, the past, and nature. It is at times mournful, at times hopeful, but always grounded solidly in the human condition. A note on the photography of Al Past, which accompanies the book. Many poetry books use stock photography for decoration. Not so here. The photography in this book is as essential to the reading experience as the written word. A wonderfully crafted and moving experience awaits the reader.

New Review of Scarecrow in Gray on Amazon.com

By Patrick Trammell (Vestavia Hills, AL) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Scarecrow in Gray (Paperback)

In his debut novel, Barry Yelton artfully weaves the tale of Francis Marion Yelton, a distant kinsman of the author. Francis' story could have been of any private soldier on either side of the Civil War. The War we see vividly through Francis' eyes is of a world turned upside down. Plucked from a small farm at the tail end of the war, Francis suffers hardship, deprivation, and becomes all to familiar with the call of death and misery. At times gentle, at times violent, but with a code of honor squarely at home in 19th century America, we see a man who is all too human. Barry Yelton has done a masterful job of stripping away the cavalry sabres and mint juleps, and presented War as most live it. From a craftmanship standpoint, Yelton holds his own with the finest historical fiction writers. Indeed, the book is only historical fiction by accident. It hold its own with the best of recent Southern fiction. Worth a read, and worth more exploration of Barry Yelton's talents.

Listen to Me

Copyright 2010

I have no part in the enterprise of the day
long since has my voice
been stilled
by time

Yet voice should I give
where voice is not given
and hard lessons there are
to be learned
by those who walk in
sunlight's brief illusion

Man's bold suppositions
ring hollow in truth

eternal verisimilitude

gives lie to the
temporal, shallow dance of fools
we dance

from the place
that I rest
I can only reach out
with the arms
of the living
long since have my own
given way to corruption

Reach out though I must
through the words of a friend
and tell you, poor human
walk lively today
reach upward, sing hearty
embrace
remember
strive
for your day will turn dark
and the ending arrive
when never you expect

and never you wish

Memory of a Loved One

My friend Jack Dixon, whom I met through the IAG group, has an entry on his website about his beloved wife, who passed away after a struggle with cancer. He wrote a poem dedicated to her memory and a tribute to her, and has posted a couple of photos of her there.

She was obviously a very lovely lady in many ways, and one can only imagine the grief that he has experienced since her passing. Jack is a talented writer, having written a vivid and exciting novel, The Pict, about an ancient people that inhabited the British Isles.

I highly recommend a visit to Jack's website and I highly recommend his novel. He is a talented man, and though we have never met, I count him a good friend. He has been very supportive of my work, and nothing is more important to a writer than the validation of other writers.

You can read Jack's tribute to his wife here: http://www.jdixon.net/karen.html