Excerpt

Where Giants Walked

Where Giants Walked is an anthology of poems by Edward Lull that is presented in five parts. The first consists of ballads, opening with a poignant tale of the author dropping his oldest child, a daughter, at college. Among the seven other ballads is a rousing summary of President Trumans career entitled, The Ballad of Harry S. The second part contains eight stories using varied poetic forms to present them. The one based upon fact is a sestina about the tragedy at Columbine High School, entitled The Life and Death of Spring. In Part 3, the author displays his enjoyment of light verse with such poems as:


How Are You?

How are you? I ask, (though I dont really care
but it seems like the right thing to say.)
I couldnt be better, hes quick to declare,
though he seems to be deep in decay.

And how about you? comes his requisite probe,
insincerity etched in his smile.
Im ready to whip anyone on the globe,
I retrieve from my large clich file.

I truly feel lousy and he looks the same;
so what makes us go through this routine?
Is there really shame if we loudly proclaim:
I feel rotten and you look obscene!

Part Four contains interesting reflections from the authors life. In Part Five, we get a clear view of many things about which the author is passionate, such as he describes in a sonnet, The Final Honor:


The Final Honor

Moist fresh-mown grass disturbed by naked earth
contrasts the beauty where fall flowers bloomed.
No standard headstone yet to mark the berth
where loyal teenage soldier is entombed.

The scene of caisson towed by ambling horse
on winding paths within this honored place
repeats itself too often in the course
of honoring these lives too soon erased.

These are not aged veterans who, at last,
are shown respect long due for sacrifice.
They are our proud young soldiers who were cast
in drama where they paid wars highest price.

When leaders lose their way to make war cease,
they need to seek Gods wisdom to find peace.