I remember the first poem I ever wrote was called "Autumn" and I was in the 7th grade. It was an assignment and it actually was Autumn, my favorite season. Unfortunately though, my teacher didn't believe I had written it. She even accused me of copying it out of a book and I got an "F"; I was shocked and angry. So, when my mother asked me how my teacher liked my poem I told her what had happened, and she too was shocked and angry. The next day she walked all the way to the school (since at that time we had only one car which my dad used) just to set the teacher straight. After that my "F" became an "A". Then I felt better and the "poetry seed" was planted.
Later my mother told me something special: that we were actually related to George Gordon (Lord Byron), a famous English poet. She said he even had a club foot just like one of my cousins. At that time I had never heard of him but soon I learned all about him and read all of his poetry. and that's when I fell in love with poetry for the first time. His love poems were so beautiful. and to this day I remember: "She Walks in Beauty".
Well, years went by and I was busy writing reports etc. for my classes in college until one day I was inspired to write a poem called "Smoking". It is here on Poetry Soup.
Anyway, the "poetry seed" began to grow until suddenly poems were coming to me like lightening bolts! I'd be doing something mundane and suddenly a poem would just pop into my head. Finally I realized that I wanted to write them down before they disappeared. That's when I started carrying a notepad and pen with me everywhere I went so that whenever the inspiration came to me I'd be ready.
Since then I've been fortunate to have quite a few poems published and I am now here on poetrysoup. I have written a lot of poems since those first days when the "poetry seed" was planted and I know my grandfather (also named Byron), who also wrote poetry, would be proud. And, I hope my mother, great-grandmother and ancestor, Lord Byron, would be proud too because it has become my favorite pastime now.
Thanks for reading this and I hope you will read some of my poems and leave some comments as well. By-the-way, I guess my style could be described as simple rhymes because I write for what I call "real" people who usually hate poetry and I am perpetually trying to convert them which I believe can be done but only with poems that are easily understood, Here is my philosophy in a nutshell: I write for the reader. I want whoever reads my poems to be able to understand them, I believe that if someone reads one of my poems, understands it and likes it, then they will be more apt to read more poetry and that's what I want. I want to plant the "poetry seed" in others.
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