My early lessons taught me to work hard and fight through the obstacles that would be encountered in my life. My poetic efforts began simply, without much structure, as I wrote about the issues that I was dealing with daily. Surviving homelessness and the culture that pierces through it, such as substance abuse, hostility, personal safety, etc., I was compelled to write about topics in a way that was clear and not overly symbolic. I soon began to feel drawn to issues that in my earlier days I was not active in, such as politics. Throughout this journey, most of my other interests would find their way to my paper as I tried to reexamine those concepts from a different vantage point. And though using "old-school" rhyme may not be the most popular these days, it is within my comfort zone as I continue to be a work in progress.