I have been writing for my life for many years, early on I had no idea God would mix this pain with this life and birth these words. I wrote to keep from dying, and I shared what I had written to keep from killing. In eight grade Mrs Price shared with my class Still I Rise by Maya Angelou, who instantly became my mentor, I believe I'll meet her some day. My father had a poem on our living room wall, I don't remember the title but the words are etched in my mind forever. He would also have my siblings and I read from a poetry anthology, and sing. Sometimes he was drunk but God was using Daddy to birth something in his children early because he would leave this life much to soon. When Mom signed my eight grade autograph book, she wrote poetically, words which I wish I could see now, for she died 6 months before Daddy. So I live to tell the story of how we got over.