Let Wisdom Speak

Author Jerry Keeney unexpectedly discovered thirty-nine original poems crafted by his great-great-grandfather Job Harman. Unknown to Keeney till now, this great-great-grandfather came alive in almost mystical engagement through these poems. Surprisingly well-crafted but buried in storage and forgotten for decades, the poems opened deep wellsprings of wisdom, promise, and grace. These energies had sustained and enriched this pioneer farmer's simple, hardscrabble life for his eighty-two years, sixty of them on the wilderness frontier of Missouri's Eastern Ozark Border region. Can we tap into these same wellsprings? Keeney's experience affirms, Yes we can. Harman's poems reveal intriguing stories. They open upon landscapes of mind and heart that can draw readers into their own pioneering spiritual ventures and yield insight for living well. In the course of Job's lifetime, he participated in the Great Westward Migration, endured the American Civil War, engaged with the populist agricultural movement of his times, and more. At the end, he witnessed the international order collapse into World War I and saw the savage "Spanish Flu" pandemic begin taking millions of lives worldwide. Through it all, a golden current of Wisdom informed and energized this pioneer settler's life. Now, this golden current reaches across a century and a half to connect readers with its healing grace via Keeney's thoughtful treatment of Job Harman's life and poetic gifts.