My Poems Over the Years

By Dwayne Mattingly

Have you ever tried to write a poem?

When I was in the eighth grade, I took literature, and the teacher told us one of our projects would be we need to write ten poems and turn them in. It doesn't matter the style or the content. She wants to see how our creative minds work.

Having never written a poem ever, I started and, I must say, finished the assignment and turned it in. I received a few poems back with checkmarks, which means good work, and even more back with question marks. I guess that meant, What were you thinking?

What I did find out was I enjoyed developing poems, so at fifteen years old, I began to take writing poems a little more serious. I wrote poems for the next thirty-eight years. (I put the year I wrote each poem at the end of the poem).

In December of 2020, I found out I had kidney cancer; and in January of 2021, they removed my right kidney. We later found out it had moved to both my lungs and three lymph nodes in my midsection. Now came the chemo.

I had to quit my job in August of 2021 due to the hand and feet syndrome. I was unable to stay on my feet for long due to the pain. For eight months, I was wondering what is the next chapter of my life. I felt the Lord was telling me to publish my poems in a book. So here I am. My Poems Over the Years is just that. I pray you will not only enjoy reading them but also be touched by them.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0B8QH3G6R
• ISBN13: 9798886164855
• Release Date: July 2022
• Publisher: Christian Faith
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"