The Story Behind the Poem: Playing With Fire

      I wrote my first poem when I was 4 3/4, according to my mother in my baby book. here is that poem:

           

                    I have a little kitty and his name is Puff.

                    And he is round as fluff.

                   When he's happy you will know

                   That his tail waves to and fro.

                  He has a ball

                  That he chases along the hall.

                  He curls up in his bed at night

                 And goes to sleep til morning light.

Genius, right? At the age of 7 I wrote this one:

               When two little girls go to bed

               One little Mommy gets tired instead.

This was about the fact that when she put us to bed by reading to us she would often fall asleep or at

least start yawning while my sister and I were wide awake. It was an early recognition of irony! 

      Later in High School I wrote quite a bit of poetry and wanted to become a poet. Of course, I was discouraged from because "you can't make a living as a poet." Then I wanted to become a Minister and i was told "Girls can't be Ministers." So I did both.