Jack London Riehl’s “Heart & Soul: Inspiring Collection of Light Verse on Life, Love, Faith, and the Military”

My cousin Jack London Riehl died this week. He lived to see his book of poems published just one week before his death.

“Heart and Soul: An Inspiring Collection of Light Verse on Life, Love, Faith, and the Military”

Author bio: Jack London Riehl earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Washington University, St. Louis, and served in the Army during World War II and the Korean War. Now a retired high school English teacher, he lives with his wife near Nashville, Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their family.

Preface:

I spend a lot of quiet time in gardens, And not alone, for God is also there. In gardens, joy prevails against despair, For seeds of hope and faith and love and joy Grow very well in gardens.

In Heart and Soul, retired high school English teacher Jack London Riehl shares a poignant collection of poetic family reminiscence, light military verse, and tender love poems that provides an engaging portrayal one man’s life.

Jack Riehl begins his compilation with his first two poems he wrote at age eighteen—a required assignment for all high school yearbook staff that culminated in fueling his life-long passion for written verse

In his unique style, Riehl interjects a mix of wry humor and a whimsical view of life as he offers an armchair philosopher’s insight into how he learned to conquer disappointment, face the dilemmas of a soldier, laugh at himself, and think youthfully as he journeyed through eighty-eight adventurous years.

Accompanied by over twenty timeless photographs, Heart and Soul offers wisdom for both the young and the old as it tenderly leads others through the circle of life.