I have enjoyed collating the poems for my first book. The book of poetry came about when I met a young woman going through a very tough time in life. As she told me her story, she expressed her belief that butterflies were inspirational. That night, I went home and wrote "The Butterfly" for her. Although our paths have not crossed for many years, I feel the poem was a comfort to her, as she was grateful when I wrote the poem for her. From that time on, I began to write more often. Sometimes just a word or image would bring a poem to my mind. I wrote " Devotion" for a man who was caring for his very ill wife. His kindness and caring touched me deeply, as he was so loving. I wrote "The Old House" about a derelict farmhouse. Some time after I wrote this poem, the old house was pulled down and a new house built in its place. One day, I decided to take a copy of "The Old House" to the owners. After the owners read the poem, they told me I had written their life story without having met them. I wrote "Homeless and Broke" in Houston, Texas, in the United States. We stopped at traffic lights there, and at one, I saw the homeless man. The poem immediately came to mind. After I write a poem, I rarely change it. Words come to mind that fit my thoughts. I wrote " The Elephant" for a friend who was experiencing troubled times. This friend took comfort in elephants with their trunks up.