Discovery

by Jan Sikes, Connie Nelson (Foreword by), Rick Sikes (Illustrator)

Overview

Breaths of Life from within a prison cell...When life, as he knew it, was stripped away, left with NO freedom except in his mind, Rick Sikes journeyed deep inside seeking to discover his true self.It took time, but he eventually found the man he'd forgotten existed. Even though they confined his body in an iron cage, they couldn't lock away his mind. He made a choice to channel all of the creativity inside him to a positive beat.What you'll find between the covers of this book are expressions of raw emotion...Poems of deep sadness and loss, humorous musings, political wisdom, life observations and tender love from both Rick and Jan Sikes.The pen-and-ink art drawn by Rick, is simply another extension of creativity and partner with the poems. Rick Sikes poured pieces of his heart and soul into these writings and art, and it was his hope that through hard-earned wisdom and insight, he could help others on their soul's journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780990617969
Publisher:	Rijan Publishing
Publication date:	10/11/2016
Pages:	172
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.02(h) x 0.37(d)

About the Author

James Richard (Rick) Sikes was born smack in the middle of the great depression. His family, although dirt-poor, were a proud people. At a young age, his father taught him to fire a rifle. He hunted meat for the family by the time he was twelve, along with his faithful collie, Fireball. How he loved the country and roaming through the hills and valleys of central west Texas. He discovered music, or maybe music discovered him at the age of fourteen. By the time he entered his senior year in high school, he had formed a weekend band, along with his childhood friend, Dean Beard. His music career took him down the roads of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and out to California until, in 1971, he was arrested, found guilty and sentenced to seventy-five years in prison for two bank robberies.

Being convicted of a crime he had not committed, he arrived at the gates of Leavenworth Penitentiary, angry, bitter and rebellious.
But, time has a way of smoothing out the rough edges of a man's soul. He spent every spare minute doing something creative with his hands and mind.
He discovered who he really was and saw how he'd gotten lost along the journey down so many roads.

In this poetry and art book, you will find a sampling of the creative genius who lived inside Rick Sikes. You'll see his distorted sense of humor, feel the loneliness that permeated his being and get a glimpse of the world around him through his eyes.
These poems are literal breaths of life from within a prison cell.

In 2013, Rick Sikes was listed in the Texas State Historical Association Handbook as a pioneer in Texas Music. In 2004, he was inducted into the Central West Texas Music Hall of Fame under the Rockabilly category.

Rick finished his earth journey on May1, 2009. His widow, Jan Sikes, has written his entire story through a series of four books.
If you enjoy these poems and art, please take a closer look at the books depicting his life.

Table of Contents

Foreward by Connie Nelson
Table of Contents
RICK - BREATHS OF LIFE FROM A PRISON CELL.- 1
Letter From Rick - 2
Discovery - 3
THE WORLD CAN BE YOURS - 5
Free Children's Song - 6
Master of My Way - 7
Common Folks - 8
Deeds and Rewards of Men and Bards - 9
The Rich, The Poor - 10
A Preacher, A Chicken, A Sunday - 11
ALONE WITH PEN AND PAPER - 13
Paper Man - 14
Prisoner To Press - 15
Sexual Revolution - 16
Love Comes Love Goes - 17
Standing In Line - 18
Beautiful Roses, Cotton-Candy, Peppermint, and Popcorn Prison Blues - 19
Trial, Truth, and Trend - 20
Men Like Me - 22
WILLIE - 23
Ol' Willie for President - 24
Ride Down and Raid the Ranch - 25
No More 'N Four - 26
Do-Little Dandy, Sho' 'Nuff Handyman - 28
The Title Is Too Damned Long or (When Aunt Bessie Rode A Bike To The Belly-dancer's Ball) - 30
The Bull in the China Closet - 32
DREAM VISITS - 33
Angel of Night - 34
The Dream - 35
Portrait of My Golden Girl - 36
My Little Dream - 37
Image of Memory - 38
To An Angel - 39
Empty Dawn - 40
So Very Often - 41
You and Abilene - 42
PRISON YARD - 43
All American Prison Scene - 44
Prison Reason - 46
Where Lonely People Go - 47
Changing Times - 48
Lament To Failure - 49
Small Sacrifices - 50
Nothing More - 52
Ballad For An Imaginary Movie Queen - 53
The Make - 54
Liberation-Damnation - 55
My Gal Suzie - 56
Right Woman, Wrong Man - 57
Bringing It In - 58
THE TOWER - 59
The Final Hour - 60
I, The Intruder - 61
In The Name of Justice - 62
Gentle Fury - 65
Just Wanna Be Gone - 66
Museum Of Memory - 67
I Can - 68
A LITTLE GIRL AND BOUQUET OF ROSES - 69
Little Girls and Roses - 70
Winter Roses - 71
No, No, Never - 72
The Rhyme - 73
WILDFLOWERS - 75
To My Wildflower Princess - 76
Aster Star-Flower Daisy - 78
Extol From Soul - 79
COUNTRY - 81
Country Rain - 82
My Leanhaun Shee - 83
My Promise - 84
Love Venture - 86
SEPARATED BY BARS - 87
Just Love - 88
Let Me Hold You - 89
I Can't See The Roses - 90
Every Rose Has Thorns - 91
Earth-Mates - 92
SEASONS - 93
Reasons For Seasons - 94
After Summer - Before Winter - 95
Rainy November - 96
So It Is With Men - 97
Raindrops On A Rose - 98
Nature Alone - 99
Life Can Be A Bummer - 100
CHRISTMAS - 103
Old Jim's Christmas Parole - 104
Christmas Gift #73 - 106
Special Christmas - 108
Being - 109
The Joy Of Christmas - 110
Christmas Poem For A Lady - 112
Enroute To Rendezvous - 114
Spawn Of Nature - 116
Self Fusion - 117
Life And Love - 118
Our Journey - 119
CONVICT - 121
Convict's Homecoming - 122
The Convict's Guitar - 123
Things Money Can't Buy - 124
Love Effort - 125
The Bandito - 126
To A Friend's Best Dog - Man - 128
Love And Peace - 130
Love Like Hell (For Lovin's Sake) - 131
Gone Again - 132
The Troubadour's Woman - 133
Sometimes A Friend - 134
"STEAM TRAIN" MAURY GRAHAM - THE HOBO KING - 135
The Hobo King - 136
THE NEXT COMPILATIONS ARE FROM THE PEN OF JAN SIKES - 137
Comes the Dawn - 138
My Pledge - 139
My Pending Joy - 140
Leavenworth and You - 141
I Am You - You Are Me - 142
Liberty's Lament - 144
For My Husband - 145
Homecoming - 146
Finding The Best Of My Dreams - 148
Life With A Man - For Sharon - 150
Lewis - 151
Love's Frontier - 152
The Lay-Off - 154
I've Got To Write And The Moon Is Full - 155
Haunted - 156
The World Can't Change The TRUTH - 157
Surrender - 158