Louis Armstrong said it, Marijuana is an assistant, a friend. These poems riff off that theme, a fifty-year-long set of improv-collaborations between two old friends, Miss Mary Jane and her man, Sam.Poems too of a classicist, on familiar terms with Sappho, Archilochus, Horace, Socrates -- regulars in the audience along with Miles, Billy, Bessie, Woody -- hard listeners for poems that are bluesy, bopsy, beat, Whitmanesque, funny, generous, passionately committed, intellectually rigorous, sometimes savage -- poems that swing hard, come on hard, poems from Brooklyn, America, Greece, London -- in-your-face poems. And always poems composed not in the head but on the breath. Poems that can only -- the author insists -- be read aloud.The goal is to perfect the world, to sing the golden age into America, an absurd goal, but only by constantly risking absurdity can we become human.

Pothead personifies the broken American dream; illustrating the consequences with a rhyming theme, featuring fluorescent lights, constant flight, and multiple sights, Pothead as a poem is intended to satisfy and delight your reading appetite.

The classroom of life is always in session. Some folks just have a gift of observing, learning, and expressing the many lessons taught that seem to escape most of us. In these writings, the opportunity to capture many of our own previously overlooked blessings and would-be cherished memories will become evident to the reader, as Bills thoughtful insights of his life experience are shared. Faith, hope, and love are undeniably expressed in this collection of life lessons well learned. Danny Jones, President, Superior Livestock Auction In this collection of poems spanning more than fifty years, poet Bill Stoner gets personal. He invites you to come along on a journey through his lifeto participate in both happy and sad times, to laugh and cry with him. He allows you to see inside his soul, which radiates a deep faith and trust in God no matter what comes his way. Bill takes you to the farm, on a cruise ship, and to the basement of his parents home where all thirty-six of his family members share a bountiful meal and celebrate Christmas in the truest sense. His poems provide insight and wisdom to help you navigate through tough times. They encourage you to help others who may follow in your footsteps even though youre not aware of it at the time. And they help you understand how trials can be stepping stones. His love poems to his wife, Joy, will bring a smile to your face and admiration for a love that has endured for more than half a century.

A poignantly funny account of renowned writer and humorist Neal Pollack's years as a marijuana addict. Beginning innocently enough in his 20s, Neal Pollack discovers that pot makes everything—food, music, sex—better. Getting married, having a kid, and enjoying professional success do nothing to dampen Pollack's enthusiasm for getting high. As cannabis grows stronger and more widely available, the expansion and acceptance of marijuana Big Business shadows Pollack's dependence. By 2014, Neal is a correspondent for a national marijuana newspaper, mostly because it means free pot. Diving into the wild, wicked world of weed with both lungs, Pollack proceeds to smoke, vape, and eat his way to oblivion, leading to public meltdowns and other embarrassing behavior. After his mother dies in 2017, he spirals out of control, finally hitting bottom during a reckless two-day gambling and drug-filled binge, culminating in a public crack-up at the World Series in Dodger Stadium. Three weeks later, he quits. After joining a twelve-step program, Neal outs himself as a marijuana addict in a 2018 New York Times op-ed piece, leading to his decision to document his experience as a cautionary tale for the millions of recreational users in the hazy age of legalized weed.

I'm pleased that the leaders of our country have changed their stance on the cannabis plant. Too many people for too many years have been victims of a broken system. Progress in the cannabis industry has been slow but steady. Today, giant steps are being made to correct misunderstandings on both sides of the political table. Health care laws, in many states, are removing the handcuffs and shackles from the cannabis industry and allowing the plant to be used for personal and medical benefits. It doesn't matter if you are for it or against it, cannabis is not going away. The poems in this book represent a cultural shift in the way we conceive cannabis. Monsters and mad men are finding balance between acceptance and inclusion. The former have been exposed for the fools they are, and the later still have more work to do. Today the cannabis plant is safe, healthy, and legal in many states. Civil progress is being made to deregulate a controlled substance that didn't need to be overtly controlled in the first place. Many new jobs and products are being introduced to the market place and people are more educated about the cannabis industry than ever before. Fewer numbers of people are being arrested and more taxes are being paid. I thank my lucky stars every night that I'm still alive during this time of great social change. I get to witness a cultural recovery that's long overdue. It will take time and it will get better but it will take everything we have to make a difference in our nation. I think it's time to turn the political spotlight from marijuana and let it shine on the hemp industry and let the products being made from the cannabis plant heal our country and the world community. My music is in the pages of this book. It's in the ink and on the paper, and in the margins from both sides. I ponder the rhythm and long for the rhyme of it all. I believe together we can dance into the future and if the poem is wrong we can always keep dancing until we get it right. Everyone has a secret garden with a bench. The secret is, to be still long enough to find it. Chuck Allen, Jr.

An autobiography of a life-long marijuana smoker, and the circumstances of that life.