The thirty-three poems in this slim volume are united by a simple belief – poetry should not be insular, but should at least attempt to speak to a wider world. On the Roofs of Zion rejects meaninglessness, nihilism, and relativism. At their core, its poems affirm that there is purpose in life, transcendent truth in reality, and meaning that a poet can and should articulate – for as Ty Bard says in the poem ‘Self-Defense,’ we are not merely “dying animals” but are also “orphans of sentience sent from the heavenlies.”
Ty Bard’s poems are traditionalist in approach, but not rigid in application. They are not overtly formal or strict in adherence to metrics. If the poetry of the traditionalist movement of the early 20th century is viewed as sculptural or architectural in form and meter, then the structure of Mr. Bard’s poetry is best described as organic. Rather than form imposed upon a poem, the form grows from the poem - a sprout germinating from a seed of poetic thought, diction, and rhythm. It is Mr. Bard’s assertion that the pattern which thus emerges from a poem is analogous to and reflective of the pattern which, when sought, appears from the multitudinous and seemingly random events of existence. Form and pattern in his poetry is therefore a non-verbal testimonial to the transcendent order within creation which is the thematic essence of On the Roofs of Zion.
Ty Bard is a graduate of the University of Georgia and a like-long resident of Georgia. 'Trekking to Ocmulgee' is the book one of the historical fantasy series, 'Spoken World.' Mr. Bard is currently at work on book two, 'Walkers between Worlds.'
This snippet is from Fallen in a Forest of Lesser Trees. Although Alexander crossed the Indus, he never crossed the Ganges - but it had been his desire to do so. The reference to Tyre is interesting for it is a famed fulfillment of Biblical prophecy - In Biblical times, the city of Tyre was on the coast - the scriptures predicted that Tyre would be destroyed so throughly that the earth would be scrapped clean of it ruins like a dinner plate. Although the original city was destroyed, for many years it seemed the prophecy was incorrect for the ruins remained. Then along comes Alexander. Tyre had been rebuilt on a island across from the original mainland city. Tyre refused to submit to Alexander and Alexander used the ruins of mainland Tyre to build a causeway to the island to capture the island city - by so doing he scrapped the earth clear of the ruins of the original mainland Tyre and thus fulfilled the Biblical prophecy.
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