Beverly M. Collins

Quiet Observations Summary: This book is made up of verses about the simple act of being. You know, the moments when you are quietly reading between the lines of encounters in everyday life. How deep these waters run. I felt compelled to write these feelings in rhyme after my mothers death. I am the fourth daughter in a family of five girls. We are as different as five sisters can be. For years I did not understand how we could be so different. We did in fact; grow up in the same household exposed to the same teachings (except for the eldest). One evening shortly after my mothers funeral, I was fascinated talking to my sister Deborah about one past experience, the painful time of our parents break-up. I could not believe how we could view the same series of events and interpret them completely different. I did not see her view as wrong. There were many things she expressed that had never crossed my mind. There was great disharmony among the five of us regarding the finalization of my mothers affairs. It was much like the impact of an earthquake that changed the landscape of our relationships forever. Once your view changes, everything shifts. I began to notice more and more how each of us see life through our own filter. This filter or viewpoint seems to be made up of in-born tendencies of personality and emotion mixed with socialization. When you add it all together it equals our expectation of the world around us. This filter can cause us to see things in others that are not there or not see character traits that are there. I am an avid lover of art, music etc. I have no formal training in sociology. These writing are by no means a perfect view of anything except the view from me. I want to see how many people relate to the words on these pages. I have come to the conclusion that I am happy, sad, angry etc. because of my expectations, internal make up and beliefs, not because of other people or the world around me. The first poem I wrote was Puppy which reflects the sadness of the loss of my Mom. I come to view all events in my life in a new way. Many of the things Ive perceived as painful were neither good nor bad. They were however, necessary for the birth of a new outlook. It is a blessing that I did not get some of the things I have wanted looking back over my life. Real rebirth has a period of hard labor, just as any birth would. If our lives are to be satisfying, we must go through many of these periods of hard labor repeatedly so we continue to sidestep stagnation throughout our lives. These views are reflected in Savor the sound, Torn, Turns, Expectations and others There is also the lighter side of life written as Child of summer, Seven Minutes from Me, Dear to Me and the poem in the book that is really close to my heart, Miles, expressing my feelings regarding my darling nephew by the same name. I have attempted to include poems from many angles. This little book of thoughts and rhymes gives the reader a chance to add your personal quiet observations in the back. I hope you come to treasure what youve added in your copy. Lastly, I realize all the things that make me different from my sisters, yet there is a long list of things we share. I apply this to my feelings toward our larger human family. We are like brothers and sisters. At times we are at odds in our viewpoint, yet always deeply connected at our core. Peace Always, Beverly