"The poems of Harold L. Gray, which range from humorous
to serious, reveal a young man grappling with the great questions of purpose and being that trouble all serious thinkers.
They also show, through echoes of numerous 19th and early 20th century poets, particularly Carl Sandburg and e. e. cummings,
that Harold was a careful student of poetry." - Stephen E. Meats, Professor, Pittsburg State University
& Chair of English Poetry Editor, "The Midwest Quarterly"
"The rich variety of poems in this collection
conveys the sensitive and often lyrical response of a young midwesterner to the world around him at a time that now seems
quite distant to most of us, the late 1930s and early 1940s. The poems display an exuberant interest in the possibilities
of poetic form (I admire the use of repetition in "Die Slowly in Kansas," for instance), wit (for example, "On the Strand"
and "To a Lunchkit") and a serious religious temperament ("One Cross and Two Others," for example). Harold Gray's son has
lovingly prepared these poems for publication, and his highly personal introduction provides a moving portrait of a man who
was many things - devoted father and husband, book-keeper and accountant, Boy Scout leader, outdoorsman, Navy nurse during
World War II, devout Christian, and poet. One finishes a reading of the poems with great appreciation, but also with
regret that Harold Gray did not continue adding to them after 1941. This collection is "worth looking into." -
Raymond F. Hilliard, Professor of English, University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia
Note: Professor Hilliard actually lives in my childhood home, the house where
my father provided me with so many happy childhood memories, just under a mile or so from the University of Richmond campus.
Poems from To the Prairie and to God have been used along with the photography
by Kevin Gray, the poet's son, to create 11 X 17 posters selling for $8, which includes mailing costs.
More are in production, as is this website.
Payment can be made by check (will wait for
check to clear - sorry), money order, or PayPal.
Send orders and payment or $8 to:
Kevin
Gray
812 East Wea Street
Paola, Kansas 66o71
Or
call at 913-731-0030 to place an order
I am currently exploring a credit card payment system. More on that
in the near future.
"My Muse" from 1938
Dad never wrote another
line after 1941
This posthumously published book is my attempt to
share my father's youthful passion for writing poetry. Dad had come of age on a small, dusty Illinois farm during the Great
Depression, where he still found the wherewithal to pursue a college education and follow his many dreams.
He began
writing in high school, but his time spent at Kansas State Teachers College (now Pittsburg State University) provided a revealing
outlet on paper for both his love of the Kansas prairie and for God.
A war and his desire to follow the dreams expressed
in his lines meant leaving his writing passion in Kansas, the state he would eventually return to in retirement and to be
buried, as he once had written, on a Kansas hillside.
Fortunately, my father saved his working and finished drafts
for me to find. Why he never wrote another line after 1941, I can only guess. At least, this very personal and insightful
collection of poetry helped me better understand my father.
Kevin L. Gray, Paola, Kansas
The poet's son, Kevin, lives in Paola, KS
He is a retired English teacher.
On the farm near West Salem, Illinois
Dad's pens on his book This Is Worth Looking Into
In my presentations, I make sure to tell people, "Don't lose your passion in
whatever you enjoy doing? What did you leave behind years ago, that you are anxious to bring back?
Don't just sit there thinking about it. Get up and resume where you left off...and have fun!"
