After the Rain
📘 About This Book
When congratulating my granddaughter on receiving her Masters in Fine Arts degree, I acknowledged my desire to be able to write poetry. Her simple answer was "give it a try." I finished my first poem at age 86. Since then, I have completed over 100 poems. A poet I will never be, however, a writer of poems I can claim. Although saddled with imperfections, my hope is that some spiritual benefit will be derived from the reading of this little book. The beautiful poem "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer was put to music and performed frequently by my father in my youth. The sound of his voice still lingers in my mind. The last line of the poem expresses my feelings. "Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree."
📖 Summary
After the Rain by Keith Mack is a remarkable testament to the power of late-in-life creativity, capturing the reflections, humility, and inspiration of an author who penned his very first poem at the age of eighty-six. Spanning one hundred and twenty-four pages and published in 2022, this collection of over one hundred poems is born from a simple yet profound encouragement. When congratulating his granddaughter on earning her Masters in Fine Arts degree, Mack expressed a wistful desire to write poetry, prompting her encouraging response to simply give it a try. What followed was a prolific burst of artistic expression that culminated in this intimate volume of verse. Despite his impressive output, Mack approaches his work with profound modesty, playfully distinguishing himself as a writer of poems rather than a capitalized poet. This self-effacing perspective infuses the entire collection with a genuine, down-to-earth charm that immediately resonates with readers. He acknowledges the imperfections saddling his work, yet offers the collection forward with the earnest hope that readers might derive some spiritual benefit from turning its pages. The poetry serves as a gentle mirror to a long life well-lived, capturing quiet moments of contemplation, gratitude, and human vulnerability. Throughout the book, echoes of memory and familial connection thread their way through the stanzas. Mack fondly recalls his youth, remembering his father performing a musical rendition of Joyce Kilmer's classic poem Trees, a memory so vivid that the sound of his father's voice still lingers in his mind. This deep appreciation for artistic beauty and familial legacy culminates in an embrace of Kilmer's famous concluding sentiment that poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree. This humility anchors the collection, reminding readers of the vastness of nature and the divine compared to human artistic endeavors. After the Rain stands out not merely for its literary merits, but for its inspiring origin story. It challenges cultural assumptions about aging, proving that curiosity, learning, and artistic expression do not have expiration dates. Whether exploring themes of faith, memory, or the simple act of putting pen to paper for the very first time, Mack delivers a heartfelt offering that encourages anyone harboring a secret creative dream to finally take the leap and give it a try.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Inspiring real-life origin story of late-in-life creativity
Deeply humble and authentic tone throughout the poems
Thoughtful reflections on family, memory, and spirituality
Encourages readers of all ages to pursue new artistic endeavors
⚠️ Cons
The author openly admits the poetry carries intentional imperfections
May be shorter or simpler in style than traditional academic poetry collections
❓ FAQ
Who is the author of After the Rain? +
The book was written by Keith Mack.
When was After the Rain published? +
The book was published in 2022.
How old was the author when he wrote his first poem? +
Keith Mack finished his first poem at the age of eighty-six.
How many poems are included in the collection? +
The book features over one hundred poems across its one hundred and twenty-four pages.
What inspired the author to start writing poetry? +
He was inspired after congratulating his granddaughter on her Masters in Fine Arts degree and following her advice to simply give it a try.
