A bit of this and that ......

As a writer I am fulfilled when creating poetry, stories, characters, and situations which before never existed outside my imagination. I was born and raised by my parents in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I often describe myself as one who tends to do everything backward. At a very early age I married and before long my two daughters arrived. Having only a high school education I waited until my children were grown before going back to school. I attended University of Toronto and later graduated from Transformational Arts College. For the past seventeen years I have lived in Elliot Lake, Ontario but in the past I have lived in Toronto and its suburbs; Prince Edward Island and in New Zealand. I have also enjoyed other international travel but as a tourist in countries including Thailand; Korea; Bahamas; Bermuda; Columbia, Puno and Cartagena in South America. I have held several jobs throughout my life; primarily the positions of legal transcriptionist; teacher and psychospiritual practitioner in private practice.

I always wanted to write and I did write in a small way as a hobby but I never made any attempt at publication. It was not until I retired at an uncertain age that I finally made the promise to myself that I would fulfill my dream of being an author. Since that day I have worked very hard though it does not feel like work. I love creative writing and how can something one loves so much be classified as work? I have written novels, novellas, short stories, some of which are in anthologies, and some, like Daniel, which dare to stand alone. Drawing on my experience as a teacher/therapist I put together what is so far my only book on personal growth. The majority of my short stories deal with social issues. I have no diplomas or degrees in creative writing. I have only the imagination and the desire to allow the wonderful characters I create the freedom to express and the time to tell their stories. I do my best to keep up with the characters and I hope others enjoy reading what I write."

Poetry, for me, is a pleasurable challenge; one that I want to meet. The writing of poems is something my mother loved to do and I remember as a child being taught, "It's not poetry if it does not rhyme". Perhaps this is why rhyming seems to come easy for me but to write free verse; there is my mountain to climb. I am climbing, albeit using baby steps, but I am always thrilled when I meet with even the slightest poetic success. This encourages me to keep trying.