Poems and Sea Stories

Book excerpt: Taking readers aboard a ship of memories, author James B. Rudd relives his unforgettable days as a U.S. Navy Officer and offers some poignant insight in a book released through Xlibris. Poems and Sea Stories is a highly moving collection of literary pieces that reminds of days past and celebrates the treasure of living life today. Penning down over 50 pieces of riveting poetry and short stories, Rudd taps the corners of his mind to relive memories of his adventures. Through rhyme and rhythm, he compels readers to ponder life, to appreciate nature, and to be grateful about today ́s rewards. This unique anthology is divided into four parts, each of which deals with a different facet of life. The poem "Mimosa" speaks of a young love that has faded yet never forgotten through time. Deeply melancholic, "The Dead Tree" is about the beauty that can be seen in the absence of it. "The Australian Destroyer Captain" is a witty short story of the author ́s unforgettable encounter with a ship captain. Several of the poems, "Gravity", "Conventions of War", "The Parade of Duty", and "Coming Home" offer perspectives born out of the author ́s personal experience of war. Thought provoking and often humorous, Poems and Sea Stories is a special collection that will never fail to entertain, comfort, and inspire both young and the young at heart.