About Vincent J. Tomeo
Vincent J. Tomeo is a poet, archivist, historian, and community activist.
For 36 years, he taught American history at a New York City public high school. He has formerly volunteered at the 9/11 Tribute Center Museum at Ground Zero.
Vincent is published in the New York Times, Comstock Review, Mid-America Poetry Review, Edgz, Spires, Tiger’s Eye, ByLine, Mudfish, The Blind Man’s Rainbow, The Neo-Victorian/Cochlea, The Latin Staff Review, The Evening Street Review, and Grand- mother Earth (VII thru XI).
Vincent has recited his poetry everywhere across the United States, throughout Queens, New York City, and internationally; South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, Italy, Tanzania, Kenya, Spain, Morocco, Portugal, Germany, and France.
To date, he has 908 published poems/essays, winner of 105 awards, and 135 public readings.
Regarding poetry, his proudest accomplishments are winning Honorable Mention in the Rainer Maria Rilke International Poetry Competition and having His poem, “A View from a Tower in Calabria, Italy,” sculpted into marble in Italy. (You can read that story online, “Times Ledger: Flushing poet honored in Italy. Immortal Words, poem sculpted into marble, March 24-30, 2017.”)
Vincent J. Tomeo, NYC author, widely published in both the US and internationally. In July 2018, Vincent was awarded “The Best Overall Free Verse” by United Poets Laureate International World Brotherhood and Peace Through Poetry, World Congress of Poets, Bangkok, Thailand, for his poem, “I Visited the Grave of Marine Michael D. Glover.” In February 2020, two of Mr. Tomeo’s poems, “Belleau Wood 2020,” and “Remembering a Corona Marine, Private William Frederick Moore,” will be distributed and read in schools as part of the Aisne-Marne Cemetery Project, Rue des Chevaliers Colomb, 02400 Belleau, France. Another unique publication is Vincent’s poem, “Idaho,” framed, mounted, and displayed on a wall in the Idaho Potato Museum, Blackfoot, Id.
I am staring at a blank piece of paper, wondering what to write. Where do I begin? My mind begins to wander—pleasant thoughts of Disney’s Fantasia dance in my head. The dancing hippopotamus comes to mind, and this made me laugh. The result: I penned a poem on the hippopotamus from which a chapbook was born: The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times.
One cannot imagine a world without humor. Without humor, the world will be dark, cold, and a sad place, tragically lacking joy, cheerfulness, and laughter.
Humor is medicine. During rough times, humor will help lighten and lessen physical and mental anxiety.
In challenging times, I chose humor. During the Pandemic, I had to deal with my bladder cancer. In my struggle not to get depressed or dwell in negativity, to find solace, contentment, and peace, I chose to seek out beauty and laugh.
In search of happiness, the humor worked its charm, resulting in a treasure chest of joy. So, I wrote my chapbook, The Usefulness of Hippopotamus: A Humorous Chapbook for Trying Times and discovered humor even among the hippopotami!
You can, too.
Peace & flowers.
Love & light.
My Cemetery Friends is timeless. Walk with renowned author and poet Vincent J. Tomeo through garden pathways of life. Along the way, encounter other travelers, trekking a similar trail, embrace new acquaintances, and this will make all the difference. My Cemetery Friends is a celebration of life. It is six degrees of separation, how one can meet someone, and in turn, this can lead to other unique encounters.
My Cemetery Friends honors our families, friends, our military, the forgotten, and the unnamed. We sing their praise while celebrating life, nature, humanity, and compassion, all in search of peace. Stroll with the author through a living museum over cemetery trails, and learn much about things overlooked before. You will not be disappointed.