First Impressions

About the Book

I have prepared a collection of poetry for your enjoyment that presents the various aspects of human emotion. I study the vivid reality of depression and the contrasting illusion of happiness. This book presents an attempt at dissecting fate and glorifying faith, hope and love. You will find a piece of your life written in these lyrics as we venture back into our past and look forward to the future.

About the Author

The author was born in Pittsburg, Kansas on July 20, 1948. It is a small town in the south east corner of the state. He joined the United States Air Force in the middle of the Vietnam War era in August of 1966. He served four years in the military acquiring the G.I. Bill for his college education. He attended the University of Missouri at Kansas City where he earned his Bachelor in Business Administration degree and continued on in graduate school. He obtained his Master in Business Administration in May of 1975 and received his Certificate in Public Accounting in June of 1976. The author is the former General Manager for the Board of Public Utilities in Kansas City, Kansas and a former Board Member for the American Public Power Association. He has served on the Board of Western Fuels Association and is a member of The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. In his last eight years in public service he lived in the United States Territory of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas. He served as the Chief Financial Officer for the Water and Power Authority and as a special financial consultant to the Government of the Virgin Islands. The author began his new career in writing after the death of his wife Deanna in 2004 and now lives in Kansas City, Kansas. Mr. Drake is the father of three children. The first being Terry Christine Drake who lives in Snohomish, Washington with her husband Michael and their two sons Sean and Jacob. His daughter Dresden Marie Drake Goldberg lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband, Stephen Arnold Goldberg and their twin girls Hannah and Harper. Finally, the author’s son Brandon Lee Drake lives in Tampa, Florida just after serving eight years in the United States Navy stationed in Japan.