These Flowers Smell Like the Taste of Strawberries

By Bob Boyd

When my youngest son, Noah, was about 4 years old, we went to a farmer's market in north Minneapolis, Minnesota. As we walked through all the booths and amid all the produce, he said to me, "These flowers smell like the taste of strawberries." I held these words in my heart for over 30 years, believing that they would serve well for a title to a book of poems.

These poems share poignant and intimate insights into relationships, inspirations, loves, and other experiences that have impacted my life and writings. My spouse wants everyone to know that many of the poems focused on women are not about her, but some are. I want you to know that these poems are the result of experiences I have had, my imagination, and various fantasies.

They are also the product of hopes, love and dreams that arise from stories shared willingly by those close to me and at times unwittingly by patrons of late-night restaurants and other venues whose patrons have louder voices than they were aware.

Blank paper awaits my pen... like a canvas in need of brushstrokes to become a work of art...
Words and images swirl through my mind... enticing me to choose... as if they were the stuff of speeches from politicians... on the eve of a close election...
I am apathetic... but know that the first word or image I choose... will take me down a certain path...
From which only a massive scratch out or a new piece of paper can rescue me...
So I linger... letting my thoughts swim... like a million sperm in search of an egg... each hoping it is the first to conceive...
And even then... it may take a lifetime to know what has come into being.

The book has seven sections.

Relationships and Support: How to nurture them - the support needed to sustain them - and healing from their loss.
Inspired by Others: Reflects moments where a particular person, encounter, or event invited pause, inspiration and creativity.

Love: This section explores the beauty, hopes and dreams as well as the pains that love at times delivers.
Having an Impact: We all have times in our lives when we feel deeply, struggle intensely, discover a need to question and are called to challenge. These poems seek to identify and navigate those experiences.

Holidays, Seasons, Special Occasions: The poems in this section explore moments related to times throughout the year when we experience magic, wonder and occasional challenges.

Poetpourie: The poems presented here are an amalgamation of my work and creativity - covering a multiplicity of experiences I have had that called for expression and exploration.

Dreams and Fantasies: A number of these poems explore the sensual and sexual dimensions of life and experiences - as well as dreams and fantasies that are part of our everyday life.

It is my hope that in reading and experiencing these poems that you will find some that inspire you, some that mirror your own experiences, some that provoke and challenge you and some that help you discover something about yourself that helps you to grow and better understand yourself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GCD9ZTHL
• ISBN13: 9798241078742
• Release Date: January 2026
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.0" x 8.0"