In The Wind
POEMS BY ED RUZICKA
Poems of Travel, Wanderlust & Global Wanderings.
A Restless, Vivid Poetry Collection from the Jungles of the Amazon to the American South
Catch a ride on a poetry journey that moves like the wind itself. In the Wind by Ed Ruzicka is a vibrant, far-ranging collection that carries readers across continents — from Amazonian jungles and mountain peaks in Peru to trails in Ecuador and the backroads of the American South.
With clarity, insight, and restless energy, these poems capture the spirit of travel, change, and discovery. Alive with vivid imagery and emotional depth, this book invites you to journey through landscapes both external and internal.
This is not quiet, stationary poetry — it is alive and restless, full of movement, wonder, and hard-won wisdom.
Why This Book Stands Out
In the Wind stands out for its sweeping geographic and emotional range. Ed Ruzicka writes with the sharp eye of a true wanderer, blending vivid travel imagery with intimate reflection in poems that feel both expansive and deeply personal.
Powerful endorsements from Jack B. Bedell (Poet Laureate of Louisiana) and Ariel Francisco Henriquez Cos
Travels from the Amazon and Andes to Louisiana landscapes and beyond
Rich, sensory language that brings distant places vividly to life
Author of three previous full-length poetry collections
Pushcart Prize nominee and President of the Poetry Society of Louisiana
This is a collection for readers who crave poetry with movement, adventure, and a global perspective.
More Than a Book—A Meaningful Experience
In the Wind is the perfect companion for dreamers, travelers, and armchair explorers alike. Return to it for inspiration, reflection, or when you need to feel the pull of the open road.
It makes an excellent gift for poetry lovers, travelers, adventurers, or anyone who appreciates writing that captures the thrill of exploration and the quiet moments between destinations.
Praise for In The Wind
“This book is alive and restless.”
—Ariel Francisco Henriquez Cos, author of All the Places We Love Have Been Left in Ruins“...these poems sizzle with clarity and insight
—Jack B. Bedell, Poet Laureate of Louisiana
Discover Travel Poetry & Contemporary American Poetry
If you're searching for travel poetry, wanderlust poetry, contemporary travel writing, nature and place poetry, or adventurous American poetry collections, In the Wind by Ed Ruzicka delivers a vibrant and memorable journey. Perfect for readers who love poetry that moves across borders and through the heart.
About the Author
Ed Ruzicka
Ed Ruzicka has published three full-length books of poetry, most recently Squalls, by Kelsay Books. Ed’s poems have appeared in the Atlanta Review, the Chicago Literary Review, Rattle, Canary, and many other literary publications. He has had poems nominated for the Pushcart Prize and has been a finalist for the Dana Award and the New Millennium Award. Ed is also president of the Poetry Society of Louisiana. He was raised in a quiet, corn-green town in Illinois. Ed has two adult children. He lives quietly as a retired occupational therapist under the green of live oaks in Baton Rouge, LA with his warm and caring wife, Renee.
“It might have been said that the soul is no traveler, but I’m here to tell you the heart sure is, and Ed Ruzicka’s new collection, In the Wind, takes us all on a heck of a tour. From Amazonian jungles, to peaks in Peru, to trails in Ecuador, to jaunts through the American South, these poems sizzle with clarity and insight like the jangle of bells hanging around an alpaca’s neck on a steep mountain trail. I promise you’ll cherish the time you spend following these lines around the world.”
~Jack B. Bedell, author of Ghost Forest, Poet Laureate of Louisiana, 2017-2019
“With the wonderful eye of a wanderer, Ed Ruzicka’s “In the Wind” whips us through his world, his visions, and his changes. From North American to South, from Ecuador to Louisiana and many places inbetween, from poem to poem, this book is alive and restless.”
~Ariel Francisco Henriquez Cos, poet and translator, author of All the Places We Love Have Been Left in Ruins and many other titles.
A Sample From The Book
Perdition
Route 66, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico June, 1969
I manage to hitch a ride
with a Brother in a Caddy.
He dials up Funk and Motown
all the way from Tulsa to Albuquerque
That Caddu saild through the red dirt gulches
of Oklahoma and then across the Texas panhandle,
which is like having to pass through purgatory
before being trap-doored down into brimstone.
In the panhandle, some lone-star hometown hero
pulls us over on account of seeing a skinny white boy
in a fine machine with a well-dressed son of Kenya
is way too much for his belief system.
Not that it surprises me
to find racists in Texas
but who ever thought hell had cops.