Rowena Stenis

Gemspirations: Praise Poems Rowena Stenis

Many people influenced my desire to write poetry. My mother wrote poetry and set a good example. My father was a language professor at a university, and the major discussions during our meals concerned words. My musical training made it natural to think of poetry as the music of words and to see the rhythm and rhyme in the use of words. Several poems were written while I was growing up, but serious writing came later. Years later, while on an automobile trip with my husband and children in the western U. S. we visited with many of our friends and relatives-I wrote thank-you notes to them in poetry. Other inspiration came from life's experiences, such as watching wildlife, meeting other people, being with family, and seeing the effects of aging. One poem was inspired by talking to a Japanese lady about forgiveness, love, and acceptance. After fifty years of marriage, many people asked for marriage advice, which I explained in a poem called "Marriage Advice" My poems have appeared in the yearly publications of the International Library of Poetry, as well as in the World of Poetry anthology. A music publisher in Nashville, Tennessee saw some of my poems and has set some to music and put them on CDs. One of the latest is "Marriage Advice" which says to put Jesus in the center of your life and pray. My first book of poetry, entitled Reflections, was published in 1994 by Carlton Press.