CALLING ALL TROOPERS

HOME .
25 May 2001

Dear Top Trooper:

The great American poet William Carlos Williams wrote of poetry: "It is difficult/to get the news from poems/yet men die miserably every day/for lack/of what is found there."

The people of Belfast, Northern Ireland have launched a community arts program called "Poetry in Motion," inviting citizens from all over to write and submit poems about the decades of the Troubles and the Good Friday peace agreement now being implemented. These works will be placed in public places and on buses and trams throughout Belfast over the coming year. See: New Belfast Arts.

As you know, our good friend and colleague Tom Constantine is playing an important role in the peace process. We think it would be splendid if the New Belfast Community Arts Council were to hear from Tom's professional colleagues here in America expressing in verse both your thoughts and best wishes for the peace process and your support for him and for the men and women of their police agency which is going through a painful and difficult process of transformation and rebirth.

We appoint Col. Ed Culhane of the Rhode Island State Police, himself a noted and talented poet, to receive all of your submissions so that they may be gathered together and properly presented at an appropriate time. We ask that you send a copy to us, preferably via e-mail, so that they may be posted on our web site.

I don't expect Tom to sit down and write a poem. He is, after all, the man of deeds, not words. So, when your submissions appear at www.constantinescircus.org, it will be under the title: "Poetry in Action. My own submission is about Tom. It's called: "The Righteous Man."

Yours truly,
TERRY O'NEILL

This paragon of sartorial splendor is the noted and talented poet Colonel Edmond S. Culhane, Jr., Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and our point man in the Poetry in Action initiative.

tyger jumping through hoop

Questions? E-mail Us!

CONSTANTINE'S CIRCUS, INC.
PO Box 7223
Capitol Station
Albany, NY 12224-0223

518-465-4413
518-465-3200 FAX