By Carolyn Barnes

Photo by Monique Schoenfeld, Town Crier

Review

Los Altan Bob Simon just automatically finds himself turning life’s highs, lows and everyday moments into verse.

“I wrote one very conventional poem as a schoolboy; why I got back into poetry as an adult I cannot say,” he said. “But starting in 1968 my life’s events just naturally inspired poems.”

Simon’s light verse, collected and published in “Fleeting Rhyme,” (Poets Cornered, Los Altos, 2000; $19.95) celebrates many local places, people and organizations, including the Stanford Centennial (Simon was assistant dean at the Stanford Business School and director of Stanford’s East Coast Office for almost 20 years), the veterans’ memorial statue at Shoup Park in Los Altos and even the mission statement of the Los Altos Elementary School District.

Despite these serious-sounding subjects, Simon’s approach always leads to laughter, or at least a wry smile from the reader or listener, because every poem rhymes and most of them reveal the crazy paradoxes that weave through every human occasion and every life.

Simon’s Stanford Centennial poem was read by Ted Koppel at the climactic Stanford stadium celebration, and his appearance at the Los Altos Rotary Club inspired former Los Altan Mary Burkhardt to suggest that she illustrate his poetry. With the help of Burkhardt and her husband, Al Burkhardt, a book designer, Simon acquired a dream team to create a published collection of his verse. In fact, their book-making project is currently on display at the Los Altos Library, across from the checkout desks. Titled “The Building of a Book,” it starts with a few lines of hand-written poetry on a small yellow lined pad and ends with a copy of the 58-page book by Simon, complete with illustrations and separate jacket.

Simon will present his poetry in person at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 25 in the Program Room of the Los Altos Library.

Admission is free and refreshments will be served. “Fleeting Rhyme” and a poster illustrating “Centennial, the poem,” will be available.

The book is also on display at the Stanford Bookstore and can be purchased through its Web site, http://www.Stanfordbookstore.com.