At the age of seven I had my first poem published: a celebration of Halloween that appeared in a regional newspaper. My career as a poet languished for decades after that, though I never stopped writing poems. I tucked them away in drawers and placed snippets of poetry in my novels, composed verses for special occasions and gifted them to friends and family. Eventually I decided to share my creations with a wider audience by submitting poems to online and print-only journals and contests. Writing poetry helps me look at the world in a different way, reviving powerful memories, working through my emotions in difficult times, and making me more appreciative of magical moments.