Peter Vetrano began writing poetry in 1970 after reading Dylan Thomasa aDo Not Go Gentle Into That Good Nighta for an English class. He counts among his favorite poets Basho, Peter McWilliams, Richard Diem, Gary Edwards and Paul Lowney, who in his BIG BOOK OF GLEEB wrote one of Peteras favorite verses: aIave just filled my swimming pool with pirannah fisha] If I donat swim there anymore, the pirannah fish will die.a In describing the reason for his writing, Mr. Vetrano quotes from Tennysonas aCharge of the Light Brigadea: aTheirs not to make reply, theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die.a