PICTURE THIS, poems and photography from Tom Tenbrunsel

Picture This, a collection of poems and photographs from Tom Tenbrunsel is now available in paperback and as an E-book wherever books are sold.

From the Amazon page listing:

Tom demonstrates his unique talent and renewed interest in combining poems and photography. Indeed for Tom if a photo is worth a thousand words, a poem says the most in the fewest words. Poetry challenges meaning. Pictures make you dream. The photo poem book is also sprinkled with poetic prose and flash nonfiction throughout. Picture This offers a treasure trove of life’s lessons, a delightful reference for everyday. You read this book and you will want to write poetry. His advice, “write every day!”

I've had the pleasure of breaking bread with Tom Tenbrunsel in a relaxed setting, and in his home, talking about this life we share, its tribulations, and its joys. 

Tom's concerns for social justice run deep and true. His boundless energy, his knowledge of ethics, human psychology, family life and morality, coupled with his wit, experience and insights into human nature, have made a lasting impresson on me. 

There's nothing pretentious in his work. His writing comes not as an attempt at modernism or effete erudition, but it's shaped, instead, by experience, wisdom, and an infectous appreciation of life. 

Tom's collection Poetry On My Mind reveals so much wisdom learned through adventures, all of it wrapped into one pocket-sized anthology that blurs the line between fact and fiction. 

“I see things through poetry colored glasses and decided to share my thoughts and experiences with others,” says Tom. “I have always enjoyed conversing about the meaning contained in things, especially in the word-paintings of poetry.” 

Whether the subject is love, a realization of faith, or a meticulously calculated “non-traditionally” spelled word, Tom will have you joyfully piecing together his various twists on life. He covers a multitude of occasions, people, objects and places — each piece leaving a puzzle with hidden treasures for readers to unravel. 

He brings to his poems the insight of 50 years in a clinical psychological practice. Tom was also a Vice President at two major universities: Alabama at Huntsville, and Michigan State University in Lansing. He came to poetry writing after a long distinguished career. Born and raised in Nashville, he graduated from Bellarmine University, and in 1969 earned his doctorate from St. Louis University. More recently, he was the Resident Sports Psychologist at the D-BAT Baseball Trainning Facility in Asheville, North Carolina. 

Tom is fearless and honest and his sense of humor and his love of life shines through in all of his work. 

Here is a link to Tom's web page: https://www.tenbrunsel.com/

Write to him at: tenbrunsel2@gmail.com 

He's also an avid gardener. 

This spring, 2023, Tom was Writer in Residence at Carl Sandburg's farm and home, Connemara, in North Carolina.

Sandburg's former home is now a working farm and a museum managed by the US National Park Service. https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks/carl-sandburg-home-national-historic-site

Tom and his lovely wife reside in the Appalachians of Western North Carolina. They have three wonderful children and eight grand grandchildren. Tom is an active spirit, and along with his gardening, he enjoys cycling, hiking, camping, and fishing for trout. 

To quote Tom directly, he writes on his blog "about poems, gardening, hiking, life, cycling and just fun stuff." 

Below, from December, 2019, is one of Tom's short prose pieces . 

TWILIGHT MORNING

One morning just passed my Winter, I shuffled to the kitchen to fix me some “umm” tasty Chi Tea, just like any other morning. A bright crisp sunny day greeted me, cool to almost warming, a cozy early Spring on my mountain - new life, new chirping all around, new sounds, smells and feelings. Dip the routine Trader Joe’s powdered chai into a mug. Ahh, sniff an almost sneezy hint of that yummy, powdery, herby smell. Turn on the Keurig and listen to it telling me to “hit the road, hit the road, hit the road, hit the road,” as it steamed up hot water. Smiling, I thought, “not today old man, not today.” I pushed the brew button and voila - appeared a nice cup O’ Chai Jo. I swear I remember stirring it with a clinking spoon. I stir my tea in honor of the Brits - in a figure eight leaving off the stiff pinky - not that boring circular swirl like the Yanks. It’s not something I take for granted. 

But then something strange happened. When I went to push the “off symbol,” so’s not to have it sit there fussing at me all day - nothing. Huh? It didn’t work (I looked into the camera)! Okay, so push again and push and push, and push, push, push that darn little digital devil - nothing, still nothing? “What the heck,” I asked out loud to myself, “I can’t turn it off,” pushing a couple more persistent, blistering times (hoping) on that fool fancy-assed off-tab? What’s going on? Strange. Real strange? Stranger still - I didn’t wake up that morning!