A Legacy of Poems

“Felling A Tree” is the creative work of a wonderful man, R. David Collins, whom I met in a genealogy group. David had a dream of publishing his poems, and I had the privilege of helping him manifest that dream. He published his book at the age of 87 and was thrilled to present his legacy to his family and friends.

The author, R. David Collins, began writing poetry after retiring from engineering.  He drew inspiration from the wildlife he encountered on his walks and in his backyard, as well as the rich history of his town, Rochester, NH. This collection not only captures the essence of the natural world but also weaves in the historical tapestry and local personalities that make Rochester unique.

When David first approached me, his collection was a mix of typed and handwritten pages stored in a loose-leaf binder. Together, we embarked on a transformative journey to bring his poems to life in a professionally published book. We located the electronic versions of his work, but due to the outdated software, we needed a third-party app to convert them to Microsoft Word. I managed the conversion process and provided David with a draft for him to edit, revise, and obtain releases from individuals mentioned in his poems. Once the manuscript was ready, I guided David through the process of uploading it to Amazon, making final revisions, and converting his images to meet Amazon’s requirements.

David’s book was published when he was 87 years old. He now lives in a retirement community where he shares his work through monthly readings. It was incredibly rewarding to help David document his unique knowledge and experiences, creating a legacy that will be cherished for years to come.