Ode to Thy Apricot

We derive joy and happiness from doing so many things. I tend to derive so much pleasure in writing; one way to express my emotions is by writing poems. I believe emotions flow like the river when I sit down to write.

When my sister, Debbie, passed away, I never thought I would be saying goodbye at that early time. One way I could express my love for her is by writing a eulogy entitled "Adorned Beauty." Her Chinese middle name is Sau Lung which means adorned beauty or natural beauty. I read it to her, and I knew she heard her big brother's words of deep anguish, pain, and sadness. We should be grateful for every moment spent here on earth.

I have chosen to publish my poems to express my creative thinking style and how personal it was by writing the first poems to my wife, Jocelyn. We have been married for 36 years. "My Journey" was written while taking a certified nurse assistant class at San Jose Vocational Center when I was 51. At that time, my journey was beginning, continuing, never-ending, with a new beginning. My last poem, "I plan to retire," might be my last as I start a new beginning.