Singing in the Shadows Edited by Sharon Oliver Coffin

Within these pages, there are over 200 poems which were written during the thirty-seven years of Reverend Jerry Lee Oliver's Ministry. He loved his family and friends, and he spent time counseling families, and encouraging the youth in the Community. Many of these poems reveal his emotions at the time they were written, as he helped these families through their trials and tribulations. There are happy ones, - sad ones, - hopeful ones, and religious ones. In fact, many speak on 'Life's problems' and how to cope with them. He especially loved Christmas and wrote about all of the Holidays. Of the group of 200 poems that we now have, the oldest dated one was written in 1933, and there are 56 which have no date. He probably wrote at least one poem per year most years. His most prolific years of writing were the WWII years 1939 through 1945. It was in those years that he wrote about his concern for Service Men, - World Peace, - Freedom, - and the Brotherhood of Man. These concerns seemed to be of great importance to him at that time. Many of these poems are based of events of his life, such as "My Childhood Home,"-"The Pea Ridge School," -"When Tom and I Were Boys," remembering his happy childhood. Both "The Presence," and "My Call," reveal his feelings as a young man and his call to enter the ministry in 1914. Dad wrote about his own father, "The Farmer," who was a farmer for all of his life, beginning in the 1800's. He worked the land with a horse and a mule, from daylight until dark to provide for his family." In later years he wrote of his father in the poem "The Pilgrim at Sunset," and read it at his funeral. He wrote of his Mother in poems, "In Remembrance," "To Honor Mother," and "A Funeral Prayer." In "A Call and A Romance," he wrote of a young man at Tarleton College, who became a minister with his help and guidance, and the two were always close. "A Call and A Romance" is a story of Hayden Edwards and his wife, Jessie. And later, "That Friend of Mine" revealed Dad's feelings upon the early death of this good friend. Dad wrote several poems about the earth and the seasons and their effect on man and the creatures of the earth. He was most observant in "Autumn," -"The North Wind,"-"The Blizzard," - "Showers,"-"The Breath of Spring," and "That's Winter." In "Snapshots" he described my Mother, Pearlie, and I'm sure he had her in mind in the poems "Romance" and "Preachers Wives." He was always close to those of the community as in the poem, "The Pea Ridge School," and to the end in, "They Live On." He served his Community well and spent many hours in his Model T Ford, traveling from one church to another. He wrote poems of encouragement "Just Brace Yourself and Take It," - "Keep up Your Chin," as well as others. He wrote poems of prayer and prayers for all who needed special attention Health - Grief, - Relief. One I especially like is "The Old Prayer Log," a poem of faith and love of Mom Pearlie's Grandmother, during and after the Civil War. He wrote to all of us in "Today is Yours," and "Your Life is Not Your Own," And at the end of his life, he wrote "Weep Not For Me," and we all knew why. These are my personal observations for some of his poems. I have enjoyed so much saving them for others. He was a wonderful man---MY DAD. Having completed "The Project" in April of 2003, I feel that I know my Dad better than I did before. I am so glad that I was able to complete the job. My personal outlook on life is far better now. I decided that it is finally time for his book to be published, - and for his dream to come true. THANKS DAD FOR YOUR GOOD WORK.I'll try to pass it on to others. You are still an inspiration for us all Jerry Lee Oliver Jr. (aka "JLOJ") May 21, 2003