Why I write poetry

I write poetry because I have to. I spent a long career writing institutional reports, and many other writing tasks related to my job. I wrote my first book in prose, and was compelled to turn it into poetry even though I knew that it would be harder to publish. I do not write with the idea in mind of how easy a book will be to publish or how many readers it may attract. I write because I want to tell stories that would otherwise die. i write because it brings me great joy to do so.