| About the Author |
| In all honesty, I find it difficult to speak about myself; to describe in prose my life and my heart. Like most people, my face in the mirror is distorted by time and life experiences. I see things others do not and ignore that which may shine brightly to the world. I view life through "thirty-something" eyes, and though I do not always like what I see, I still peer through what some have refered to as "perpetual rose-colored glasses". I have been writing poetry and short-stories for most of my life; my first official poem was a Father's Day present back when I was nine-years-old entitled "Daddy's Little Girl". Throughout grade school, high school and then college, a love of literature and writing grew within me. A rather "bookish" student you would find my nose buried in a book or a pad of paper on my knee as I sat in a small cluster of trees at the edge of a pond down the street. I also loved music and by the age of 18 was able to play the piano, saxophone, clarinet, guitar and violin. I danced jazz, ballet and tap from the age of five until I graduated from high school and sang in the children's choir and then the adult choir after the age of 13 at my church. But my love of art didn't end there. Love of art in all forms drew me to museums and galleries. I tried my hand at visual arts, too; failing miserably. My admiration for those who are able to create a visual work of art is boundless. For I, despite all my efforts, cannot even draw a recognizable stickman. It was the "Eighties" when I was in college and I was, bluntly put, still a child. Majoring in English and Political Science, I wanted to be a lawyer. In the last stretch of a two year beginning in a community college, I was headed with a scholarship to Notre Dame when "Mommy" became my new title. Raised a good catholic girl (parochial school for 9 years), I put down my pen, put away my beloved books, and I married the father of my child and began my family. In five years I had given birth to three boys and one girl and was firmly entrenched in mommyhood. No longer did dreams of setting the world to rights beckon, now I wished for a good nights sleep and a clean house. But poetry still lived in my soul. Like a living thing it roiled within me begging to be set free. I again began to write. We lived in the suburbs of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. At night the glow of the lights from the city cast an orange glow in the sky, effectively erasing my view of the stars above. Having loved nature since a child, I escaped as often as I could, for my muse seemed to flourish in the beauty outside the city. Ten yearsafter it began my marriage ended. Rather unpleasant, and certainly not "amicable", I started my life again alone with four children. I have learned through trial and error, through laughter and tears that I can be strong alone as well as with someone else. I now live in a beautiful, if rather cold, area of Northern Minnesota where peace and serenity can be found in the silence of the forest and the vista of bright stars. But I still miss home and one day will return there, hopefully perched on the edge of the city somewhere where I can still see the stars and in the distance the twinkling lights. For many years I held my writing close to my heart. It was unseen and unheard. A few years ago I had a poem published in an anthology, and the letter of acceptance had an internet address. Until then, I had not delved into the world wide web, my pen and paper were my tools. I logged and found treasures beyond my imagination. There were galleries of art to see, beauty created in words and pictures. I stumbled upon a poetry site called "The Starlite Cafe". A little nervous, I submitted a poem or two and then entered their challenges. Becoming part of the family there has been immensely gratifying. I've made many new friends and expanded my own horizons. There at Starlite I "won" the "Golden Pen" in a challenge and my initial shyness dissolved. Since that time I've "won" three more challenges, and have been selected as a Poet of the Month. A growing love of computers and a recent decision to finally "go back" to college has changed my life, bringing into view a new future. I am now not only back in school full time, intent on pursuing a doctorate in computer science, but also working at the college and tutoring. I'm not going to change the world through law and politics anymore, no, I've decided to program my way into the history books. I do believe my decision to finish my education was not only one that was good for me, but was also good for my children. Watching mom succeed in higher education has given them a different outlook and I can see new thoughts of "when I grow up" flitting in their minds. I have created every page on this site. No "webmaster" for me. Each word I write is a part of me, I leave behind within these words the signature of my soul. You'll see the light and dark sides of my mind along with a bit of humor and fantasy. Most often my words are inspired by just a thought or an occurance, although I am often inspired by a work of art which I will then use as a backdrop for the page. Some of the artwork and backgrounds are courtesy of others, but recently I have been trying my hand at creating in the visual sense.. I thank each and every artist that has inspired me, and all those who have encouraged me. As for myself, that's about all I can say. Thank you for stopping in and please, come back often as I add every day to the site. Maria |
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