One Tree Bridge

Whether reflecting on the personal aspects of human struggle, the relationships between individuals, or the implications of conflict on future generations, with uncanny insight and astute perception, Dennis possesses the ability to perceive the truth in each encounter and the significance each event holds for an individual. With this first print collection of Dennis Greene's work, One Tree Bridge reveals the individual, social, and political struggles of mankind through the exploration of events and people from history, the personalization of characters from literature, and the analysis of human interaction. They are a reflection on life and begin with the contemplation of one's own birth. With the wisdom of a sage philosopher, the tone of the poem sets the stage for what is to follow and offers the reader a glimpse of the depth of work that comes from this poet and author. As the collection progresses, we find poems that contemplate the many possible encounters a person might experience and the lessons each encounter may have offered. We also gain new perspective on historical events from poems which recount major and minor conflicts and accomplishments, and how far-reaching the actions of an individual can be. As layers of humanity are peeled away, we learn about ourselves more than the characters because of how we respond to and are moved by their stories. The ending poems offer us the knowledge an individual might gain over a lifetime, the realization that we are all temporary inhabitants of this planet, the understanding that a life is not as much defined by its accomplishments as it is by the exploration of what it is to be human, and a greater understanding of the frailty of life. O.P.W. Fredericks, Editor