Native pens dreamy book of travel poems
Published on December 28th, 2005
STONEHAM, MA - To characterize the Stoneham native as well-traveled would be an understatement.
But through all his travels, from the steel enclosed hull of a Navy warship off the coast of Vietnam, to the land of ten-gallon hats and giant belt-buckles in Texas, to the scorching arid sands of the Middle-East, Glenn K. Currie remained a New Englander and small-town Stonehamite in heart.
Now a Concord, N.H. resident, freelance newspaper reporter, and citizen volunteer, Currie launched his newest endeavor last year by publishing his first collection of poetry, Daydreams.
"The book has been selling pretty well this year. It’s sold about 850 copies so far," said the aspiring poet, surprised at the success given that fact that he didn’t do much promotion for the illustrated 100-plus page work.
"Basically, I started writing when I was in Vietnam. I was there in 1968 with the Navy, and although we weren’t in direct combat, it was an intense period from my standpoint," Currie recalled. "You were on a ship for months at a time and you needed something to break it all up. So I would write for a stress reliever."
Although the book includes many works detailing his experiences in Vietnam, as a CEO for an insurance company in corporate America, and as a traveler to far-away lands such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, the Concord, N.H. resident believes that many of his poetry’s themes can be tied to his upbringing in a younger and quieter Stoneham.
Remembering a time when anything a Stonehamite could ever need or want was located right within the square, Currie considers himself blessed to have grown up in a location where he could feel the dual influence of the small town and the big city.
"There’s a lot of poems about a number of different things. But it’s all about the road, and a lot of it comes out of growing up. So all these pieces kind of blend together to become a collection of all your experiences," the Stoneham High graduate of 1961 explained.
"When I grew up in Stoneham, it was a much smaller town. There was a lot of open-space, the type of place where a youngster could move about freely."
"So I had the advantage of growing up in a really small town that just happened to be really close to a big city. You had all these choices available and it was a wonderful experience to grow up there," the father-of-two recalled.
Although Currie moved out of the town after high school to go to Dartmouth College, and then later moved to Texas for years as a CEO after being discharged from the Navy, he always kept in touch with his birthplace.
With his parents still remaining in the town, the war veteran often spent Christmas and other holidays at his former home, often keeping in touch with figures from his youth, including his second grade teacher — who taught him how to read and write.
And so when his mother finally had to move away to an assisted living facility in 2003, forcing the New Englander to sell the Chestnut Street home, he was overcome with a stream of emotions and memories.
Culminating in a poem entitled, "Backyard", Currie recalls younger days in his backyard vineyard, where homemade jam could be enjoyed with a stunning view of the downtown area.
"We had this vineyard in the backyard and you could see right down into downtown Stoneham," the poet explained, adding that modern day developments have cut-out that clear view. "My mom would make grape jelly and we ate that for years, even after the arbor was gone. So I wrote that poem right when we were closing up the house."
Available right within Stoneham Square at the Oasis Bookstore, a copy of Currie’s collection of poems can also be purchased online at Amazon.com. Daydreams can also be ordered through most national bookstores as well.
Subscribe and get Home Delivery of The Independent
Save 36% off the newstand price — that's like 18 FREE issues!