Carole Klein is advisor on the effectiveness of these poems. She is qualified to be that because poems can be made lyrics, and Carole is a singer, experienced in performing songs of the classical music repertoire, as in the recital at which I enjoyed not only the singing but also the attractiveness of the person singing! Her qualifications as a singer are matched by her qualifications as an instrumentalist, for many years playing trumpet in the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the Marin Symphony, the Fremont Symphony and Opera Orchestras, the Festival Opera Orchestra, the San Jose Symphony, the California Symphony, the Bay Chamber Symphony, the Carmel Bach Festival Orchestra, and the Mendocino Music Festival Orchestra. She is first trumpet of the Golden Gate Brass Quintet, she being the choice of the others in the quintet to play that part. Her competence in the realm of musical experience does not end with singing and playing the trumpet. She is the orchestra personnel manager of three opera companies: West Edge Opera, Fremont Opera, and Festival Opera. I thank her for her comments on the poems here; the knowledgeable person who tells me what they think of a poem plays an essential part of the writing of the poem. More about Carole in the Golden Gate Brass website, goldengatebrass.com . Thanks, Carole!

Carole Klein