Whispers of Hope

I was always fascinated with words and their colorful meanings. The origins of my creative journey of writing poetry began when I was eight. Family and close friends encouraged me to write. My parents were gifted poets so I attribute my enthusiasm in writing to them. My mother, Oleata, especially loved to recite poetry that she had learned or written in her youth. Her melodic voice and use of pitch and prosody were fascinating and captivating. One of her favorite pastimes was to read the Bible aloud which kept us in awe with the unique way she would make the words come alive! Although she always wanted to write a book, it never materialized in her lifetime. Throughout the years she infused the passion of poetry into my soul. About fi ve years ago after my mother passed away, I decided to revisit my poems, carefully stored in manila folders and resume writing. Gradually I was able to work through the grief and isolation of losing the primary source of my inspiration and my Why for evolving into who I am. Whispers of Hope was born out of my need to express the joys, pain, situations, and the apprehensions we face daily. Whispers of Hope is a literary vehicle which transformed me as I wrote it. It is my desire that this book will bring healing, joy, and peace to the readers and that you too, will discover inner strength and renewal as you refl ect upon your life and how you infl uence others. It is a gift which took decades to write and I hope the readers will inhale the heartfelt messages and exhale while they rethink their lives! Iva Smith lives with her husband, Greg, and two daughters in Virginia.