Roger Blakiston

Forest of Friends Roger Blakiston

In 2014, I had the idea to write my first poetry book, Forest of Song. At that time, I decided to start a Facebook group by that name, mainly to ask the advice of friends about how to self-publish my book, suggestions for the cover, and so on. Most of the members were fellow magicians I had gotten to know over the years (I am a professional magician), as well as a few of my creative and spiritual friends. Though the group was initially about my book, it soon became a place for other poets to showcase their works. Forest of Song was published in 2016. I considered closing the group soon after publication, as it no longer served its original purpose. However, word had spread, and I started to get many requests from other poets to join. Several poets were referred to the group or invited. Some discovered the group on their own. I wisely kept the group open. It was not long before we had reached over 500 members. Many of them write poetry, while others enjoy just reading the poems. For this book, poets from the group were asked to contribute anywhere from one to three of their favorite poems. There are a wide variety of poetry formats in the book, from formal verse, and free verse to blank verse. Some of the members check the group first thing in their day to discover new creations that may have been written that day or night. For some, they say, it is the highlight of their day. Several members were surprised they had an inner poet in them. With the encouragement and support of others in the group, many discovered this inner poet and now write poems on a regular basis. Most include applicable pictures or artwork with their poems, which enhance their meaning. It is a very positive group despite all the negativity one can find on Facebook. Over a period of four years, hundreds of poems have been published on the page. By 2018, I had published my second poetry book, Meadow of Verse, and several other members had also published their works which were initially published on Forest of Song, the latest of which is Julian Mann's second book, Already Home: Poetry from the Silence Within. In the summer of 2018, our member Ronda Mullins, who had already published her first book, Moondrops in Dreams, suggested we had a Forest of Song Anthology. This masterpiece is now complete and in your hands. There are 122 poems in the book by 40 different poets from around the world, who are all members of the group. Graham Hill, a member and fellow poet, has had the painstaking task of putting this tome together. I am most grateful to him and the result is quite magnificent! The beautiful cover has been painted by our member, artist and poet, Linda Whitson Perry. The group is moderated by Graham Hill, Julian Mann and yours truly, Roger Blakisto