The Stare of the Flounder

"Each poem is a snapshot of an experience or a working out of an idea or a spiritual reflection. They deal with remorse, regret, grief, sadness, tragedy, mingled with life's dilemmas, unfinished business and paradoxes, hope, questions, deep faith, love of animals and nature. Sometimes the poems' conclusions take you by complete surprise. There is sensitivity to suffering both human and animal. This is a profoundly moving and thought-provoking companion for anyone who is on the journey - and perhaps especially for those of us in the 'second half' of life."

Jane Graham, WCCM Meditator, Buckingham, England

"Look into the eyes of a young boy, a dying man, a soldier, a squirrel, an ant, even a flounder, and you will find yourself immersed in the beautiful mysteries of hope and despair, of faith and uncertainty, of life and death. This vivid collection invites us to plumb the depths of the divine in the surprisingly simple, mundane and often overlooked moments of life. Truly a healing balm and a feast for the soul."

The Reverend Dr. Craig J. Sefa, author of I Arise Today: A 40 Day Journey Through St. Patrick's Breastplate Prayer

"I was mesmerized! The writer shares with us the thoughts of a lifetime in each of these timely writings. One cannot help but feel the pain of change, and loss, as one reads and discovers the depth of the writer's journey through life."

The Reverend Daniel D. Rhodes, retired clergy, Dadeville, Alabama

"Vernon Chandler writes with great tenderness and compassion. One is drawn into these experiences of life lived, life shared, and life loved."

The Reverend Loretta Benninghove, parish minister, Prospect, Virginia

"I found the poetry in this book truly inspiring as they really touched my heart. A few of them had me in tears. I wish I could learn lessons from life in the way that the author has."

Aileen B. Urquhart, author of I Belong and other Catholic children's books

"Vernon Chandler has captured the stare of life through the waters of the Flounder. Open and compassionate, these poems awaken and feed the visions and memories of living creations! I highly recommend this book for those who are willing to feel the threads that make up the tapestries of being."

The Reverend David E. McLean, U.S. Army Chaplain, Retired

. "In The Stare of the Flounder, Vernon Chandler uses poetry as a vehicle for exploring the life-shaping events of his life related to family, friends, non-human life forms, and death, as he explores the perennial questions of life."

Linda Foshee, retired educator, Hattiesburg, Mississippi