I offer my deepest gratitude to Poet Laureates Jacalyn Eyvonne, Kathleen Herrmann, Suzanne Bruce, and Katrina Monroe—four luminous voices who opened their stages to me and allowed my poems to breathe in the warm light of community. Their support has been a steady chord beneath my creative journey, a resonance that lifted my words from the solitude of the page into the shared air of listening hearts. Through their generosity, my work found a place to rise, settle, and sing. My thanks extend to the Vallejo Poets Laureate, whose sponsorship of a public reading felt like a gentle overture—an invitation for my voice, once whispered in journals and practiced in quiet rooms, to step forward into a fuller sound. Your belief in my craft gave me the courage to keep shaping each line as though polishing a note for performance. To Melissa Southwell Archie—friend, artistic mirror, and poet-duet partner—you are the bright measure that steadies my rhythm. Your encouragement has been the soft metronome guiding my thoughts, the harmony beside my melody, the hand that reminds me to keep turning the page even when doubt tries to silence the music. You inspire me more than you know, and your presence has become one of the most cherished themes in the symphony of my writing life.
To my partner, Doug—thank you for your unwavering love, patience, and quiet strength. Your presence has been the warm undertone in every stanza, the gentle accompaniment that holds me steady as I write. You remind me daily that creation is not a solitary act but a shared heartbeat, and your support helps my spirit lift, ascend, and sing toward the heavens. To my editor—your guidance has been the tuning fork for my voice. Through your insight, clarity, and generous input, you helped shape these poems into something truer, sharper, and more resonant. You refined my notes, lifted my phrasing, and encouraged my voice to take flight. With your help, my words did not simply speak—they soared. And to all who have supported my poetic journey—the readers who lent their voices to my first poetry reading, the friends who listened with open hearts, the mentors who offered gentle guidance, and every person who believed in the quiet power of these words—thank you. You are the unseen orchestra behind this book, the steady pulse beneath each stanza. Your kindness has been both shelter and wind, allowing these poems to rise, drift, return, and rise again.
