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Of Backyard Chickens and Better Days

Written throughout the course of one year, these poems reflect Jim’s search for his youngest son, who went missing in late 2025. The emotional...

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Jim Bates

Jim is retired, but before that, for 20 years he lived and worked in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a course developer and training instructor for a large manufacturing company. In 2001, he made a big decision. He moved west of Minneapolis and started working for a garden center near Buffalo, Minnesota. A few years later, another opportunity arose, and he moved on to work at a different garden center, this one in Long Lake, Minnesota. It is there that he fostered his love of plants and gardening. A few years later, he and his partner opened a gift shop in Wayzata, Minnesota, which they closed in 2009. In 2011, while caring for a loved one, he made the commitment to buckle down and begin to write instead of talking about it. He did, and he’s never looked back.

He loves to write! His stories and poems have appeared in over five hundred online and print publications. He has also been fortunate to have 35 books published under his name. His first collection of short stories, Resilience, was published by Bridge House Publishing in 2021. Other collections followed. Stuff, a collection of flash fiction and drabbles, is published by Chapeltown Books. Periodic Stories, Periodic Stories Volume Two, Periodic Stories Volume Three – A Novel, and Periodic Stories Volume Four are published by Impspired. Dreamers, a collection of short stories, is published by Clarendon House Publishing. Something Better, a dystopian adventure novella, and the novel The Alien of Orchard Lake are published by Dark Myth Publications. In the fall of 2022, his collection entitled Holiday Stories was published by Impspired as was his collection of poetry, Haiku Seasons. In February 2023, a collection of flash fiction, Dancing With Butterflies, was published by Impspired. In July 2023, his YA novella The Battle of Marvel Wood was published by Impspired. In July 2023, his collection of poems, The Alchemy of Then, was published by Impspired. In August 2023, his novel Conversations With the Dead was published by Impspired. In September 2023, his collection of poems, The Metaphysics of Now, was published by Impspired. In October 2023, his collection of short stories, Old Man Jasperson and Other Stories, was published by Bridge House Publishing. In January 2024, his collection of poems, The Evolution of Tomorrow, was published by Impspired. In January 2024, his novella Eye of the Beholder was published by Dark Myth Publications. In March 2024, his collection of poems, The Science of Forever, was published by Impspired. In August 2024, his collection of long short stories, The Stargazer and Other Stories, was published by Jim. In November 2024, his collection of long short stories, On Rainy Lake and Other Stories, was published by Jim. In January 2025, his YA adventure/fantasy novella The Time Traveling Healer was published by Jim. In March 2025, his YA adventure/dystopian novel The Defectives was published by Jim. In May 2025, his YA adventure/dystopian novel The Gallantiers was published by Jim. In August 2025, his YA adventure/dystopian novella The Two Tribes was published by Jim. In October 2025, his YA adventure/dystopian novel The Explorers was published by Jim. In December 2025, his YA adventure/dystopian novella The Rebels was published by Jim. In January 2026, his YA dystopian/adventure novella The Misfits was published by Jim. In February 2026, his collection Periodic Haiku was published by Jim. In March 2026, his collection of poems Quantum Moments was published by Jim. In March 2026, his YA adventure/dystopian novel The Survivors was published by Jim. In April 2026, his collection of Poems Time Transforming was published by Jim. In September, 2026, his collection of poems, "Of Backyard Chickens and Better Days," was published by Jim. His short story “Aliens” was nominated by The Zodiac Press for the 2020 Pushcart Prize. His story “The Maple Leaf” was voted 2021 Story of the Year for Spillwords. He was voted December 2022 Author of the Month for Spillwords. In January 2026, his short story, “Time Will Tell,” was nominated by Mad Swirl for the Pushcart Prize. He also reads his stories for Tony Cranson and Talking Stories Radio, and for Jim’s Storytime and Jim’s Poetry Corner on his website. All of his work can be found on his blog at www.theviewfromlonglake.com.

Jim is retired, but before that, for 20 years he lived and worked in Minneapolis, Minnesota as a course developer and training instructor for a large manufacturing company. In 2001, he made a big decision. He moved west of Minneapolis and started working for a garden center near Buffalo, Minnesota. A few years later, another opportunity arose, and he moved on to work at a different garden center, this one in Long Lake, Minnesota. It is there...

Books

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Of Backyard Chickens and Better Days

Written throughout the course of one year, these poems reflect Jim’s search for his youngest son, who went missing in late 2025. The emotional challenge was something he’d never wish on anyone, but he wanted to try to capture what he was experiencing by writing about it. Poems entitled “Bereavement,” “Mountain Stream,” and “Homecoming” reflect...

Dave and the Treehouse and Other Stories

A flustered waitress is given a magic wand she uses to teach a bully a lesson. A young girl is befriended by a kindly oak tree and together they dispose of her abusive father. An oceanographer’s life is changed when he meets and befriends a merman. An abusive folksinger messes with the wrong woman. A con man mistakenly thinks he can swindle the...

Time Transforming

Life is change, seen daily as new plants emerge in the spring or later, when colorful leaves fall from the trees. The seasons change, and so do we. We experience life in all of its varied forms, and we grow, becoming more well-rounded people as we do.
But there is consistency, too. The stars are always there. The moon, the sun, even knowing that...

Praise

Jim Bates is a writer, a poet, a thinker, and a lover of nature. In this beautiful book of poetry, he divided his poems into seasons and into different formats; haiku, quatrain rhyming and sestet. Each poem is simple at first glance, yet beneath the comforting folds of his words, there is a deeper, more profound meaning. Jim takes you on a stroll through the woods in Autumn, where one can picture the slippery leaves and the burnished orange sumac along the trail. Then you walk into a cozy room with him as he ignites the Winter evening with a flickering fire. Outside the window, the cold moon rises, and one sees the beauty of the frosty night. Spring and Summer bring hope as the world reawakens. Jim lets you walk beside him in his beloved Minnesota, hear the sparrows sing of Spring, then leads you into the warm embrace of Summer with all the joy and passion of a thoughtful soul. It's a book to read on an autumn evening with a cup of tea, or watching dragonflies skim the surface of the lake as you sit back in your chaise and enjoy each page on a summer's day. Winter's words will bring you comfort and Spring will fill you with hope. Each poem is a heartbeat that gives life to the world around him. Review for “The Science of Forever.”

– Author and Poet, Sharon Frame Gay

“The Metaphysics of Now” by Jim Bates is filled with short, uplifting poems that will walk you through the seasons of the year. The poems encompass the beauty of changing nature, time with family, and moments of inner reflection.

I was touched by many of the poems. In Spring’s chapter, the poem “Lullaby” is a personal favorite of mine. In Winter’s chapter, the poems “Infinite Universe” and “Winter’s Soulful Light” stood out for me.

It's a great book to have on hand whenever you have a few minutes and need a little pick-me-up from everyday life. I highly recommend this book. Review for “The Metaphysics of Now.”

– Author and Poet, Christine Tabaka,

This book of poems by the prolific Minnesota writer, Jim Bates, is inspired by the four different elements from Greek philosophy: earth, water, fire, and air. Reading these poems allow the reader to slow down, truly pay attention, and sincerely appreciate this incredible gift of life.

A book of poetry like this is much needed in our hectic busy modern culture. Reading it was quite rejuvenating! My favorite poem, "Quiet," comes from page 83. It is posted below.

"In the quiet of the early morning hour
The sun lights the garden with a sense of giving
I walk outside and feel such joy
Thankful for another day of living."
Review for “The Evolution of Tomorrow.”

– Author and Poet, Justin Wiggins

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