Richard Orazietti

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I began to write poetry about one year ago. Having no formal training, it has been alearning experience. My motivation was due to family tragedy. I started writing as ameans of expressing my emotions. Much of my poetry is of a dark nature and somewhatdepressing. For example, the poem "Survivor" was inspired by a natural disaster Iviewed on the evening news. Some of my poetry is based on real people, places and occurrences. "Over The Hill"Is an actual tavern next door to my home. The characters are friends of mine. The poem"Ponder" describes a pond which is situated in Osbornedale, a 350-acre state park thatis located in Derby, Ct. It was there at a picnic table that I wrote the poem entitled"Welcome To Hell", which I consider my masterpiece. The theme of my poem "Priceless" represents my childhood memories of a beautiful pine forest where I played as a child growing up in East Derby. This place nolonger exists, I'm sad to say, due to development of residential housing. "Retro-respect" is about my personal experiences at the original WoodstockRock Festival in the summer of 1969. I really did attend it with my friend Bob. I endedup on the album cover as described in the poem. The poems "Winners" and "Twenty Lines" have sarcastic and cynical messagesrepresenting my frustrations with poetry website policies. That is my primary reason forfor creating my own book of poetry. I sincerely hope the readers enjoy it. I am very pleased to take this opportunity to thank my eldest daughter Trisha forco-writing two of the poems in the book, appropriately entitled "Father" and"Our Prayer."