Walter J. Wojtanik

I’ve always believed that our passions define us. The things that move our souls and puts us in sync with the universe lives within each of us. Music started as the ultimate expression of my heart. But my lyrics gave my songs a voice; this melodic poetry of my life. I have been driven by the rhymes and rhythms that are the underlying score of my existence. The stirrings of my soul had been long hidden. My poetry is my observations as seen through the eyes of a poet’s heart. (Personal Blog: wojisme.wordpress.com)

In developing the style and temperament of my poetry, I am not so stodgy to think I’m out here on my own. I have collaborated with many other creative and talented people who inspire me and support my efforts. It is easy to believe in myself when these individuals show me the way.

A Creative Writing elective as a high school senior opened my eyes to the process and nuance of poetic thought. I had graduated and let all that knowledge languish unused for thirty-five years. But words unread are not dead. They only sleep. I woke them up in April of 2009 when I found an enticement to attempt the WritersDigest.com Poetic Asides Poem-A-Day Poetry Challenge. In the course of 30 days, I had met some incredibly talented and encouraging new friends and churned poems out to the pace of 10-12 poems a day.

Thanks to the leadership of Robert Lee Brewer, I worked the following year to be selected as Writer’s Digest.com Poetic Asides Poet Laureate of that same April Poem-A-Day poetry challenge in 2010. I am thankful for all who have even just glimpsed at my work. You all make it worthwhile. I still write my poetry, but not as frantically as I did. And I still help moderate the Poetic Bloomings blog (poeticbloomings2.wordpress.com) with Marie Elena Good (one of the aforementioned creative and talented people).

I have five collections of my poetry in print, with several more self-published chapbooks to my credit. The highest praise that I’ve ever received concerning my poetry so far is being called an “awesome” poet by Robert Lee Brewer, I try to live up to that standard with each poem written.