Going back to 1966 and 11th-grade chemistry, Jim has been intrigued by the periodic table. In the 2020s, he wrote a four-volume collection of short stories based on the first 100 elements. For this collection, he has turned his attention to poems, specifically the 5-7-5 syllable format of the haiku. With a scientist's eye for detail and a poet's sense of wonder, Jim has written 118 haiku based on today's commonly accepted 118 elements. The haiku are short, descriptive, and sometimes whimsi...

Life is change, seen daily as new plants emerge in the spring or later, when colorful leaves fall from the trees. The seasons change, and so do we. We experience life in all of its varied forms, and we grow, becoming more well-rounded people as we do.But there is consistency, too. The stars are always there. The moon, the sun, even knowing that the seasons will change, all add a dependability and reliability to life that is both known and counted on; a sense of comfort and security...

Jagen and Ank have been sent to Earth from their home planet, Rykos, on a fact-finding mission. Emperor General Xenon is a megalomaniac who wants the two young explorers to tell him if the planet is suitable to invade, conquer, and add to his collection. This is their first mission, and Jagen and Ank are eager to prove themselves.However, upon landing, they make a starting discovery. Not only do they like Earth with its fresh air and sunshine, they also like the humans and the trac...

In the 27th century, ten-year-olds Sammy and Cal work digging tunnels beneath the streets of the underground city of Pierpoint. When two huge rats attack them, Sammy is wounded, but their boss refuses to give him any time off to heal. With a bleak future ahead of them and Sammy's infected wounds getting worse, the boys decide to run away. Their escape incurs the wrath of their boss and his boss, who sends out a team of professional hunters to bring the escapees back. The hunter's philosoph...

When he fails to help curb the worldwide pandemic in the 21st Century, time-traveling healer Torak loses confidence in himself. When his boss Master Healer Robbikan sends him back in time to help with a plague that is sweeping the land of Anon, Torak vows to do better with this second chance. In Anon, he meets good people like the innkeepers Gwene and her husband Axande, and their daughter Lillen and her friend Jana. He also meets bad people like the highwayman Zork and his two ruthless he...

Moments can have special meaning. Moonlight shadows in the deepest night. A dusty lavender sunset. A fiery orange sunrise. A child's laughter while ice skating. A bluebird's quiet song. A creek murmuring through a peaceful woodland. Green daylily shoots emerging in spring. Fall colors of golden, amber, burgundy, and orange on a forest hillside. Soft snowfall on a winter evening. A fireplace fire warming a cold night. Returning memories of growing up. Peaceful protest during the winter of 2...

After the escape of another group of orphans, Supreme Commander Botta blows up and vows revenge. When an underground tunnel is discovered leading to the Sage Mountains and the Earth's surface, he knows exactly what to do. He will use it to stage a surprise attack on the tracliodytes and humans. He can't wait to rain down death and destruction on them.In the meantime, work director Lulomen and Captain Rani have led a group of kids to Stoney Creek and have begun planting a new wildfl...

The five Rothsy girls were in big trouble. They had tried to escape the horrible living conditions in the Rothsy Girls Home, and they had been caught. Supreme Commander Reginald Botta was incensed and decided to use them to set an example. He was going to stage a spectacular spectacle and hang the girls from a gallows in the public square outside his headquarters in Metro Metropolis. To further prove his point, he is also going to include the director of the girl's home as well as all five...

The haiku in this collection reflect Jim's love of nature, life, and family. The book is divided into four chapters, each reflecting one of the seasons. Walk with him through a quiet autumnal forest and marvel at the myriads of yellow, golden, orange, and red leaves. Relax with him by a warm fireplace fire chatting with a loved one, or reading a book. Join him in welcoming Spring as the snow melts and new, green shoots push into the sunlight. Walk with him through a garden, reveling in the...

Life for Len and Alex is not pleasant. It's the 27th century, and they are living in an orphanage with thirty other boys like themselves. They are labeled Defectives. They don't fit the accepted mold for the appearance-based society. Their faces are covered in purplish/red birthmarks, their vision is poor, and they are slight in stature. They also live in an underground city like the rest of the world's population. Humans were driven there by tracliodytes, cockroach-like creatures who atta...

On Len's thirteenth birthday, he tells his friend Alex that he wants to bring the remaining orphans home from their underground cities. Alex is all for it. The two friends approach Lulomen, the director of Creekside Meadows. Soon, a plan is devised. Len, Abagail, and Rex will journey to Metro Metropolis to rescue the remaining girls, and Alex, Zelda, and Orly will go to Tiran and rescue the remaining boys.Little do they know that Supreme Commander Reginald Botta and Colonel Winslow...

Len and Alex were the first defective kids to escape from their underground orphanage and find a better life on Earth's surface among the tracliodytes at Creekside Meadows. It's a wonderful place to live, and Len wants more orphans to experience life there. On his 13th birthday, Len presents Alex with his idea. He likes it. So does the Creekside Meadow director Lulomen. Shortly thereafter, Len, Alex, their friends Abagail, and Zelda, and led by the resourceful Sendal begin the rescue missi...