I wrote my first poem in 1990. The motivation and desire for putting pen to paper was not planned, but for the following reason (extract from 'Author's Narrative' - Paradise)
Author's Narrative: This was the first poem penned by the author, which was written as a result of a request by a young lady who had contracted an unknown life threatening desease. The relationship was unique in that we never met, yet a strong bond existed between us as a result of communication by telephone. This alpha poem was faxed to her with a view to uplift her ebbing spirits, and soon requests for more prose both from her and her close friends led to the creation of the author's desire to express his feelings in poetic form.
To date I have never thanked her for releasing this unknown gift within me...to her I bequeath this poem. 1990
5 years ago, as a lifestyle change, I began teaching English as an ESL teacher in both China and Indonesia, and have used poetry as a medium to enhance the learning process. The results have been dramatic both in the retention of what was learned, and the student's enjoyment of the lesson taught.
If the human race learned to release the emotions and passions of everyday life through the pen, wars and greed would become a rare and perhaps an unknown phenomenon.