Poetry was something that always came easily to me. Since I was a child, I could create rhymes about my teachers or classmates in just a few minutes. Some people claim that I used to write their high school poetry for them. As an adult, I've used it as a communications tool. If I couldn't find the right words to say during periods of extreme emotion...I would say it through poetry. Love, loss, death, depression, and experiences during my travels have all sparked a poem or two. The following is a collection of fifty. Welcome to a reflection of my life. Whether funny, depressing, painful, or imagined...each of these contains a small shard of my soul.