The Pictured Girl and Other Short Poems

“Alas, the pictured girl

Was swimming in my tears

She was a soulmate lost

About a hundred years”

“But I had faith

That butterfly wings

When given time

Whip up great things”

Some of the best poetry is marinated in the stew of tragedy and time. Distance gives us a useful perspective. Terry Tatum was a child of the 20th century. His poetry is largely inspired by his own memories of this unique and complicated time in America. Nevertheless, this first anthology of short poems is a timeless encapsulation of themes of loss, conflict, cultural reflection and criticism, environmentalism, childhood idealism and restitution. For the present age, these poems are still relevant. For the fortunate reader, this rich and varied collection of short poems is likely to become iconic and unforgettable.

Terry Tatum is a Stanford graduate, physician, and poet living in Middle America. As a youngster, he lost his father to the Vietnam War. This tragic event colored his life and the lives of his sisters and mother in many important ways. His own PTSD has inspired the themes of loss, wartime chaos, environmentalism, diversity, cultural reflection and criticism, childhood idealism, and restitution prevalent throughout his poetry. Terry hopes that others will be inspired by this book to reflect their own truth in kind and creative ways.