Writing transports me to another time, another place. Whether it’s a panda climbing up a mountain to find fresh bamboo or an Antarctic surveyor, I plunge into each story certain that this is the one that will engage a young reader and touch his/her heart.

Poetry is writing in shorthand. Each poem takes a moment in time and expands it to be a universal experience. Through images we see the world close-up, much like a curious child examines a spider’s web. Children are born poets. The growing up process stamps out our poetic longing. We regain it by noticing the natural world around us. When I’m upset, I go to writing to calm my spirit.

May my poetry calm your spirit.