Scatter Seeds of Kindness is more than just poetry, it is your personal thoughts and experiences that went into the writing of each poem. Why was this an important book for you to write?

I didn’t start out with the goal of writing a book about kindness. I wanted to get my poems out into the world and started to include my thoughts, inspiration, or motivation behind each poem in the form of prose included either before or after the poem. As I wrote either the poem or the prose, I started to notice a recurring theme of kindness throughout the book. It almost became a thread that held the book together. As I started to notice this theme, I realized how important it is in this day and age. So many people are struggling with some kind of pain, either mental or physical. Also we are hit with so much negativity and stress throughout the day and with everything going on in the world, so now more than ever I feel it is important to pull out that kindness when we can. Giving each other some leeway and practicing patience can go a long way in making these stressful times a little easier to manage.

My favorite poem in the collection is ‘Life Lessons outside the Classroom.’ Do you have a favorite from this collection, if so why?

I am glad you liked that poem. My favorite is probably the first poem in the book (after the title poem) called The Weight of Memories. This poem was a challenge for me. The opening verse talks about a box of old memories that sits up on a shelf. I wrote the first two verses and then did not know where I wanted this poem to go, so I literally put the verses on a shelf and let my thoughts marinate for awhile. When I finally came back to the poem, the words started flowing about how our memories are fluid and can change over time, and how memories shape us and build on each other as we go through life, ultimately helping to form our character. The poem also mentions how memories are heavy and can weigh us down. In the final verses, the person in the poem realizes that they can open that box of memories because they are strong enough to handle anything, and they can even find the strength to let go of some of those things that were weighing them down. So I was happy with the journey that this poem took after getting off to a slow start.

What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your book?

I hope people remember, as I touched on earlier, that everyone is struggling with something. Sometimes it is a physical pain and you can see the pain all over their face. But other times it is a burden that they may be carrying, or the weight of their memories as I just discussed above. They may be dealing with an illness; their own or a loved one’s illness but they could have a big smile on their face even though they are suffering on the inside. That being said, as humans we also tend to be very hard on ourselves, so throughout the book are reminders to also be kind to ourselves and not beat ourselves up so much as we are just trying to do the best that we can. So I hope people can take away these reminders to not only be patient and kind to each other, but also to themselves.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

I am working on a book in a similar fashion to this book, with the poem and the included prose which is my motivation or back story behind each poem. I am taking my time a little more with this book, but I am hoping to have it out by the end of 2022.