These poems were composed in Cheyenne, Wyoming and Denver, Colorado, in July and August of 1902. This is about my tenth book of verse, but earlier ones have been so personal that they have had no circulation except among a few friends.

     The circumstances surrounding the writing of this book were these: my wife and I were living near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, when I heard of an upcoming literary conference in Boulder, Colorado to mark the 25th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouac's novel, ON THE ROAD. Kerouac had been an influence in my life and I felt some interest in attending. As things worked out, my wife and I did come to Boulder by car.

     Attending several conference sessions, I gathered some impressions of the "Beat" literary scene and what it had become. Before the conference was over, events conspired to send us to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where, during a week in an inexpensive hotel, awaiting some money in the mail, these poems began to emerge.

                                                                  Denver, Colorado
                                                                  August 19, 1982

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