Acknowledgement

First and foremost, I want to thank my wife, Claire Desmarais, for putting up with my literary pretensions as well as my other obsessions over the years.  She is my soulmate, my best friend, and trusted critic.  I also want to thank my other critics who took the time to help me grow.  The support and encouragement I’ve received from my family is a gift I shall always treasure.  I especially want to thank my grandchildren for being true to their conscience as they pursue their dreams, for supporting me as I pursue mine, and for letting us be a part of their world. 

A warm ‘thank you’ as well to my long-term friend, Dan Black, for the metaphysical and philosophical dialogues we’ve had over the years, as we scrambled to understand subjects as elusive as the storied Snow Leopard. His essays (studies) that he shared with me were odysseys of discovery that helped break up the unplowed ground of Church & State, War & Peace, My God & Your God.  These conversations helped me better understand other subjects that are equally elusive and mysterious such as: doctrines, dogmas, icons, rituals, and ‘the dark night of the soul’. Even dodging the rabbit holes we encountered on our journey was worth the scramble.   

This collection of poems would probably have ended up gathering dust in someone’s attic had it not been for my publishing team.  I had given up on getting it published and had filed it away as a lost cause.  My youngest son, Michael Cronley, was the one who recommended this site and provided guidance on how to set it up.  And my oldest son, Mark Cronley, spent untold hours setting it up and making the necessary editorial corrections.  I was attracted to this site because it makes my work available outside the business world of traditional publishers who are in the business of doing business.  So, I want to thank Michael and Mark as well as the rest of my family for their interest and support.

Near the end of his life, St. Thomas Aquinas told his secretary that all of his writings seemed like straw.  I feel the same way.    

 Tim Cronley