A Midwestern Heart

In John Kropf's first collection of poetry, the images may come from the Midwest, but the sentiments are universal. An adult remembering boyhood realizes that we never know when it will be the last time we play in the yard. "Hometown" assures us that memories never fade: they are "right where I left them." Even what we discard carries its weight: in "The End of History," trash becomes our "discarded histories." In subsequent sections of the book, the images go farther afield. "Lost City" shows us the point of view of the last inhabitant who leaves, "turning that city into a tomb," but also that of the first who declares at sunrise that a "hillside would be a city." There is humor here as well: coffee is a dark redeemer from an exotic land, while feet can save your soul. These free verse poems tell of time, memory, boyhood, and the idea that although the past is gone, it is never lost.-Deborah Fleming, author of Earthrise

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A Midwestern Heart

In John Kropf's first collection of poetry, the images may come from the Midwest, but the sentiments are universal. An adult remembering boyhood realizes that we never know when it will be the last time we play in the yard. "Hometown" assures us that memories never fade: they are "right where I left them." Even what we discard carries its weight: in "The End of History," trash becomes our "discarded histories." In subsequent sections of the book, the images go farther afield. "Lost City" shows us the point of view of the last inhabitant who leaves, "turning that city into a tomb," but also that of the first who declares at sunrise that a "hillside would be a city." There is humor here as well: coffee is a dark redeemer from an exotic land, while feet can save your soul. These free verse poems tell of time, memory, boyhood, and the idea that although the past is gone, it is never lost.-Deborah Fleming, author of Earthrise

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A Midwestern Heart

A Midwestern Heart

by John Kropf
A Midwestern Heart

A Midwestern Heart

by John Kropf

Overview

In John Kropf's first collection of poetry, the images may come from the Midwest, but the sentiments are universal. An adult remembering boyhood realizes that we never know when it will be the last time we play in the yard. "Hometown" assures us that memories never fade: they are "right where I left them." Even what we discard carries its weight: in "The End of History," trash becomes our "discarded histories." In subsequent sections of the book, the images go farther afield. "Lost City" shows us the point of view of the last inhabitant who leaves, "turning that city into a tomb," but also that of the first who declares at sunrise that a "hillside would be a city." There is humor here as well: coffee is a dark redeemer from an exotic land, while feet can save your soul. These free verse poems tell of time, memory, boyhood, and the idea that although the past is gone, it is never lost.-Deborah Fleming, author of Earthrise

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781947504448
Publisher: Bottom Dog Press
Publication date: 06/04/2024
Pages: 88
Sales rank: 973,363
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.21(d)

About the Author

This is John Kropf's first collection of poetry. He is the author two previous books, Color Capital of the World: Growing Up with the Legacy of a Crayon Company, the story of his family's crayon company in Sandusky, Ohio and winner of Bowling Green State University's 2023 Local History Award, and Unknown Sands: Travels in the World's Most Isolated Country. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Middle West Review, and elsewhere. He is a member of the Society of Midland Authors.John is a graduate of Denison University with a major in philosophy and earned a law degree and master's degree in public and international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. He was born and raised in Erie County, Ohio and now works in the Washington, DC, area where he lives with his wife Eileen, and daughter Charlotte.
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