Greater Joy Shorter Sorrow Thankful Prayer Author:Richard Collins This title will be released on September 1, 2008. — Richard J. (Dick) Collins was a well-known teacher and coach in Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, for more than thirty years. His wit, enthusiasm, and generosity in sharing gifts of mind and spirit, and above all, love, shaped the lives of literally thousands of students. He died of pancreatic c... more »ancer in January of 1992. Greater Joy, Shorter Sorrow, Thankful Prayer is a collection of his poetry culled by his family, friends and colleagues and beautifully illustrated by friend and colleague, William Hannan.
"...He kept writing. Each year, from 1965 until 1990, fortunate friends
received from him an original Christmas poem. Since his early death in
1992, many of those friends have wished that a collection of those poems
might be assembled. The present volume does just thatalong with some
samples of his other verse. Needless to say, the project has been a labor of
love for all of us involved. Each piece bears the shining mark of Dick. May
it shine in your hearts this Christmas and always." - Ann Boaden
"...Reading these poems has allowed me to relate to my father in a way that
would be otherwise unavailable to me. It has helped me know him better, as
both my father and a man I admire. Through his words I know him almost
as well as you can. I am my father's son, and these poems are his gift to all
of us. Thank you for allowing him to share his life with you. He would be
overwhelmed with gratitude and joy." - Ryan Collins« less