In August  2006 after an all-day meeting at an off-site location, I stepped into my car and noticed the New Hampshire state quarter on the console.  I looked closely at the image of the Old Man of the Mountain, and in a few seconds the following words flowed from my pen and onto the pad of paper left over from the meeting:

The Old Man's jagged face was made of stone.

His 50-foot visage hung all alone...

On the 45-minute drive home I wrote the next 14 lines (don't worry — there was a lot of stopped traffic, allowing plenty of time to safely scribble away J), then the final 4 lines that evening.  The next morning I added the image of the coin.  So, big deal...  It was fun and there was a message, but so what?

Three weeks later the same thing happened after I picked up the Delaware quarter.  Then, in one September week I completed 8 more. By January 2007, 25 were done.  By May 2007, after the designs of the 2008 quarters became available, all 50 were done. 

Let's be clear.  This project was not anything planned, so I strongly believe that it was initiated by a Divine source.  I'd like to take credit, but fully recognize that the inspiration to write these poems was a gift from God, and that these messages are meant to describe a nation, a people and a government who, despite many shortcomings, still stand for the highest and most powerful ideals of human existence.  My hope is that these words will help people realize the heritage and history by which this nation was founded and has grown, and thus help heal a country and a world that need much higher amounts of encouragement, hope and optimism. 

Several poems were written at a memorial shrine (St. Joseph's in Stirling, NJ) dedicated to those who perished on September 11, 2001.  I sincerely believe that the world will ultimately be better because of that day and the events that have transpired since then.  However, it will take a pronounced change in consciousness across the vast array of human experience and people to make that happen.  No matter how great the differences in culture, economic status, ethnic or national origin, age, gender, religious affiliation are among us, they must be resolved to ensure our survival as a species and a planet.  To state the obvious — we only have one place to live. 

The history of each state is far richer and deeper than any 20-line poem could describe.  However, the mosaic of all 50 poems hopefully describes the beauty, splendor, struggle, perseverance, patriotism and promise of the great people of the United States in a fresh, unique way so that there will be a renewed fervor to ensure that, to quote Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address in 1863, "...the government of the people, by the people and for the people will not perish from the earth."  To that end, I offer these 50 poems. 

To help those children who, for whatever reason, have been effected by circumstances beyond their control, 10% of the gross profits from this project will be donated to World Vision (www.worldvision.org).

Bill