Poetry

I’ve written poetry since I was a child. In the 1990s, I did a few poetry readings at various events in McKinney. In 2017, I joined the Mockingbird Poetry Society, serving as president from 2022 to 2024. The group meets monthly for mutual support and appreciation of poetry and creativity.

Awards, Anthology Inclusions, Shows

2025

• Good Grief
  Third place: Collin County Poetry Contest – Mockingbird category
• If These Roads Could Speak
  Inclusion in Forces 2025, a literary publication of Collin College
• Spark
  Inclusion in Forces 2025, a literary publication of Collin College
• For the Love of Flowers
  Art Meets Poetry Participant
  Mockingbird Poetry Society/Art Club of McKinney
• Sidewalk Chalk
  Art Meets Poetry Participant
  Mockingbird Poetry Society/Art Club of McKinney

2024 

• Sunscreen
  Inclusion in the 2024 Waco Wordfest anthology. Theme: Sun
• Skirts
  Inclusion in Forces 2024, a literary publication of Collin College
• Freedom
  Poetry Society of Texas First Place – Abbie Frank Smith Memorial Award
• Warm Moon Rising
  Art Meets Poetry Participant – second place pairing
  Mockingbird Poetry Society/Art Club of McKinney
•  Cake
  Art Meets Poetry Participant
  Mockingbird Poetry Society/Art Club of McKinney

2023

• Moonlight Dance
  Inclusion in the Waco Wordfest anthology. Theme: Moon
• The Point
  Second honorable mention
  National Federation of State Poetry Societies
• Madness
  First place: Collin County Poetry Contest – Mockingbird category
• Old House
  Art Meets Poetry Participant
  Mockingbird Poetry Society/Art Club of McKinney
• The Cockroach
  Art Meets Poetry Participant
  Mockingbird Poetry Society/Art Club of McKinney

2022 

• Revelry
  Poetry Society of Texas First Place – Springtime Award
• Groan
  Inclusion in the Poetry Society of Texas anthology:
  Smiles Behind the Lines, a Laugh Lines Anthology
• Crumbs
  Inclusion in the Waco Wordfest anthology. Theme: Earth
• The First Day
  6th Honorable Mention, National Federation of State Poetry Societies
  Georgia Poetry Society Award
• Homecoming
  Inclusion in the Common Language Project Passages anthology
• Old House
  Honorable Mention: Collin County Poetry Contest – Mockingbird category
• The In-Between
  Inclusion in Forces 2022, a literary publication of Collin College.

2021

• Flavors
  Inclusion in the Waco Wordfest anthology. Theme: Air
• Relentless
  Inclusion in Texas Poetry Calendar for February (misattributed)
• Ticked Off
  Second place: Collin County Poetry Contest – Mockingbird category
• Voyagers, Iron and Where He FelI
  Inclusion in Forces 2021, a literary publication of Collin College

2020

• The Dirty
  Poetry Society of Texas Contest #33, Courage Award
• Out of the Ashes
  First place: Collin County Poetry Contest – Mockingbird category
• From Whence They Came 
  Inclusion in the Waco Wordfest anthology. Theme: Fire
• Prescience
  Inclusion in the Common Language Project Fortune anthology
• Christmas Morning, Uninvited Guests, Who We Are
  Inclusion in the Home anthology compiled by Michael Guinn for poetry related to COVID-19

2018

• Beacon
  Honorable Mention: Collin County Poetry Contest – Mockingbird category

2017

• Ashes
  Third place: National Federation of State Poetry Societies’ Texas Hold ‘Em Convention contest