After the War Was Over: Poems of an American Childhood

by David Garnes

The poems in After the War Was Over depict a boy's childhood in post-World War II America. Focusing on everyday events, the author creates a world lived through the perceptions, observations and remembrances of a child. Holidays, family members, pets, food, toys, world events, death, books and movies Incidents, relationships and experiences both mundane and profound are portrayed in a way that defines both the child and the era in which he was growing up.Several poems also explore the nature of these events as they are recollected in maturity, where they have become part of the fabric of an entire life. Memory thus serves to give new meaning to the adult the boy has become, as well as providing ongoing joy in the act of remembering. Readers of a certain age will identify with the world of a child growing up in the 1940s. Readers of all ages will relate to the inner life of the narrator as he experiences life as it was and as he remembers it.

Paperback

First published July 1, 2002

Reviews

[Maria Carvalho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this lovely book of poetry. Garnes does a fantastic job of painting wonderfully evocative pictures with his words, bringing the reader to a time and a place in vivid detail. There is a nice balance of raw emotion and enjoyable humor in the poems, which are delivered in an engaging and endearing style. You don't have to be a child of post-World War II America to appreciate and understand the thoughts and feelings of childhood that are so touchingly and memorably described in this book. Highly recommended.