The first time I ever wrote poetry was for a haiku contest. I was fortunate to receive first prize. Now when I want to edit other writing I've done, I return to the structure of haiku. It creates a narrow focus for the core of my idea and that conveys meaning to the reader.

“M” Street has always been the center of activity. It looks like great fun for students to zip down the street, carry their skateboards into Cosmos and hop back on them when they are ready to go. I can see the orange and blue colors “flash” down the street.

Part of my heritage is Irish. So I've always been interested in the country, it's culture and history. In 2005, my husband and I traveled to Scotland and Ireland. When we returned I did more research on places we visited, read famine diaries and learned of the dark and desperate passages out of Ireland on the coffin ships. I discovered that my great grandfather arrived in Canada after surviving the long voyage on one of those ships.

The traffic light on Tipperary Hill symbolizes the spirit of the Irish who came to live in Syracuse. They settled here, worked on the canal, and helped our city grow in other ways while enjoying a newfound freedom from the hunger of Ireland. I celebrate their endurance, humor and lust for life.

I think of kite flying whenever spring comes. It's a magical time. The winds pick up, the skies fill up with kites, and it's really fun. It's about being a kid again. It releases something within you that just soars.

I remember being in Blacksburg, Virginia, years ago, flying a kite in a rainstorm and not wanting to give it up. But then it looked like there might be lightning, and of course we did have to quit.

In Syracuse we've flown kites at Onondaga Lake, at Westcott Reservoir and at Green Lakes. My husband has a snow goose kite. The gulls are often curious. People watch but are usually hesitant to try kite flying.