The 76 vivid poems in A New Life by Ralph Dranow offer us a unique and compassionate view of what it is to be human. People on the fringe of society reveal their humanity and touch the poet's heart, as do ordinary people doing seemingly ordinary things, whose goodness could easily be overlooked except for the poet's discerning glance. A father spending hourss looking for his young daughter's toy in "Professor of Patience" achieves a modest nobility, as does the family sloppily but joyfully playing Frisbee in the park in "Happiness." In this collection of poems, the old life becomes the new life through the poet's discovery of the mystery and wonder that lie just beneath the surface of our everyday lives.

Here is a sample poem from this collection. The poet's term, "invisible orchestra," plays off the high-pitched sound inside one's head that can be heard when the usual mental chatter quiets down. Some have called it the "sound of the universe."

The Invisible Orchestra

The invisible orchestra

Plays in hushed tones

For an infinite audience.

It's easy to dismiss

As background noise

Or ignore altogether,

Until you realize

That its muffled music

Welcomed us

Into this world,

And one day

Will usher us out.

Ralph Dranow is a widely published poet with a lifelong fascination about people's life stories. He helps people write their memoirs and other books, and teaches the joy of writing poetry (including to people who don't necessarily think of themselves as poets).