I like the idea of a book club. I belong to a few myself, privately and at my local library. Book clubs have recently become a popular group activity both in physical gatherings, such as in libraries and in book stores, as well as in internet chat rooms. Well, I'm for starting a PressPoints NetNews Book Club®.

Since choosing a book to discuss, that will appeal to everyone, is the most difficult part of any book club agenda, I suggest that I throw this feature open to any email suggestions, list them in next month's newsletter and then call for a vote. I look forward to reading your suggestions.

Last month we featured the poetry of John A. Mowett. Here is another, from his archives. If you missed his first poem, last month, you can click onto the PRESSPOINTS archives to read it.

About the Author:
John Mowatt was drafted into the Army in February of 1970. By December of 1971, he was in Vietnam as a sargent in charge of two squads of men on Dusters (twin 40s AWSP) and Quad 50 Machine Gun Trucks. His tour in the Army lasted one year ten months and eleven days. But like most Vietnam Vets, his tour in Vietnam never truly ended. His writings reflect his every day feelings of that experience; they stay with him as his constant companion. The vehicles that allow him to deal with those feelings are his poems.

BLACK STONE

Grey steel skies
Tears in my eyes
Ice winds cut like a knife
The cold November rain
Can't wash away the pain

Hard lessons learned
But quickly forgotten
Panel upon panel
Name upon name
Tapers off into the ground

Quad 50 1997
(j. mowatt)

EDITOR'S NOTE:
Send your book club suggestions to "Genny" on site; http://www.4pointspress.com or direct your email to the Editor.