SPOTLIGHT ON POETS PRESENTS...

Becky Bixler

The story of my life isn't all that exciting.. while I haven't lived the everyday normal life.. it hasn't been extremely extraordinary either. I was born in Boston Mass in 1978...raised for the first four years of my life by an extremely talented mother... while being deaf and mute due to a childhood sickness, she still was amazingly smart. By the age of three.. before I could even begin to master the English language.. she had me speaking many things in sign language... A year later at the age of 30.. she died of colon cancer... leaving a scared four year old child with grandparents who never wanted her.. well that is what would have happened had she not met a wonderful man who she married only 47 days before she died.. and 6 months to the day of the wedding.. he adopted me as his daughter.

He moved us to live with his mother in PA... and enrolled me in 
preschool... the next year when it came time for me to enroll in 
kindergarten... the teacher was at a loss as to what to do with me... 
I already knew all that kindergarten was to teach me.. and more..
so I was placed in first grade.  Throughout elementary school I was 
always ahead in Reading class.. and the same with English in Middle 
and High school.


I began to write poetry in about 9th grade...when I began to
feel overwhelmed by depression... I wasn't a fighter.. I wasn't a 
sportsplayer or cheerleader.. I had no "out" for my emotions.. so I 
began to write... they weren't so great at first.. but as I look back
I realize it was because they weren't heartfelt.. I tried too much 
and didn't "feel" enough... So I stopped trying.. and just sat back 
and let the poems come to me... then one day I found an old
scrapbook of my mothers.. and inside were tons of poems she herself 
had written.. and it was like a flood gate had opened... I felt so 
close to her.. because finally here was something I could do that
would reflect a part of her in me...  suddenly my words had new depth and
emotion.. my heart and soul were poured into each poem.. and the 
words of praise started being heard more and more...but always I was 
my worst critic...still wary of sharing my words with others... 

My senior year in high school was the turning point.. my Writing Arts 
teacher sent one of my poetry assignments into a contest.. and I won....
I was so amazed.. next I knew the yearbook staff asked me to write 
some poetry for the yearbook... the school paper came to me asking 
for some work to publish in it.. and again I was overwhelmed.. but 
happily so... I had found my special talent...  and now.. I write 
almost everyday.  something happens in my life... good or bad... it is my next
poem... and as I sign and date each finished one... I look up at the
Heavens and thank my mom for her help and inspiration...