Growing up, J.D.'s family spent many days and nights in the nearby Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. It was this wild and lovely place that proved the genesis for many of his later nature poems.

J.D. did not begin a concerted effort at writing poetry until sometime after his fortieth year. It was then that he began to seriously consider the creation of poetry as an important calling in his life.

Since then J.D. has purposed to write poetry in each remaining year of his life. To this date he has completed four chapbooks, comprising more than 65 poems in all.

Some of these poems are published here as a way for J.D. to share his favorite poems with a world-wide audience.