Fog City

I self-published through LULU publishing and LIMELIGHT publishing a compilation of haikus while sheltering in place. It was more a lark and daily exercise but eventually grew. The problem was the virus wasn't ending and I couldn't continue forever. So I stopped and this is what became of my effort. 

Thomas Raher

Thomas Raher has written a very insightful book of Haikus, entitled, HAIKUS in the Time of Coronavirus

About The Book: For Thomas Raher, 2020 started with a bang. The beginning of a new decade. Then the Coronavirus turned the world inside out. Using the standard haiku format, he noted everything as he sheltered and stared out the window. Raher utilized this strict structure to express his thoughts simply. Sheltering in place was a means to be creative. He captures the many aspects brought on by the virus. His chronology and metaphors illuminate the big picture affecting us all. Although the time frame was a mere three months, he manages to grasp the seismic shifts in society. This work can be read as staccato prose, or the poetry he intended. Also by the author: Letters from a Working Stiff (Lulu Press) Smiling Eyes: Memories of Youth (Lulu Press and Amazon)

About The Author: Thomas Raher is retired. He was most severely influenced by the “Beats.” San Francisco, his home, has a significant role in the who and why of Himself. Although he completed a career as a public servant (transit operator), and helped raised three sons, his mind has always been “on the road.”

He has two other publications: Letters from a Working Stiff (2013) - A composite of writings to family and friends reflecting on the challenges of raising a family, driving a bus, and maintaining an individual sense of identity.

Smiling Eyes - Memories of Youth (2019) - Short stories of youth written to his dying mother.

How to connect with Thomas Raher

Blogspot:  tomraher.blogspot.com

Facebook:  Thomas Raher (@tomraher1)

Instagram:  tomraher1

Twitter: @tomraher1

Fog City

2020 looks impressive. It certainly has a fluidity as a time marker. I do have a bit of a problem fixing myself now, in this time. Speaking the number and visualizing my past, in the broader historical picture, confounds. What the number really implies is I'm as old as the hills. When I'm out and about in polite society, of which there is very little, I realize begrudgingly, a good many were only born in this century. Century, another time concept to ponder. But what am I talking about. Time. The difficulty is relevance. Youth of this century, with accelerated changes, and narrow focus, can't and don't relate to the links of the past. Here is where I question my relevance. Only because the experiences of my long life journey, applied in a historical context, were significantly influenced by monumental events. Monumental to me. Here's the rub, and I'm sure it's common to all, those events which marked my time so profoundly, are meaningless to most of today's youth. Where does that leave me? I try to keep pace. But as my role in life's drama continues to diminish, and I'm relegated to staring and comparing, I continue to redefine my relevance in time. I'm not complaining mind you, I'm just feeling self-conscious about the obvious changes to grapple with while growing older. So 2020 comes into view not so much with my touchstones, but with those of my offspring. I'm grateful. 

Happy New Year!