Twelve Reasons To Write

Larry L. Laws, Dalton Gardens, ID, is an author of books, many poems and several articles for a Idaho Writers League, Coeur d'Alene chapter's newsletter. He operated heavy equipment in the timber industry "keeping the wolf away from the door" until retirement. He’s been writing for decades. What drove him to write is not an experience any of us would wish to have . . . the accidental death of one of his children involving a baseball. In dealing with the overwhelming grief, Mr. Laws turned to writing. He wrote dozens of poems and writing eventually helped assuage the pain. Much later, his wife discovered his collection of poems and remarked on their high quality and suggested he write more. Larry took up writing again, joined Idaho Writers League and recently published two books: Poetic Expressions (Xlibris, 2010) and Back Then:Memoirs Of A Country Boy ( Xlibris, 2011.) Mr. Laws had a compelling reason to write. Others of us write:

1. To record our thoughts.

2. To set down permanently ideas brewing in our minds. Those thoughts may come in handy at any time, like a deadline looming.
3. To make better use of our time than checking emails, text messaging, random perusing of YouTube videos or FaceBook.
4. Because it enhances our communication skills by focusing on words and the composition of those words.
5.Writing gives us the ability to persuade others of our opinions or share our education or expertise.
6. Putting down words and thoughts creates order in our mind and world.
7. It builds self esteem.
8. To provide money or fame.
9. It helps to bring a sense of peace and accomplishment
10. It engages our senses and makes us better people.
11. Doing so allows us to record history.
12 Helps us tell a story we feel others would enjoy.

God's Greatness by Larry L. Laws

The easterly slopes shadows yielding

To a pale promise of a newborn sun,

Fading the false light of moonbeams

Which conceal the advance of dawn,

Sunup suggests shortening shadows

Offering assurance of warmth and nuture to a

Shivering land. A guardian to nature's

Creations, a symbol of strength greater than man.

As eternal rainbows of optimism

Has spanned the years of my life.

Giving me strength to endure the strife.

When all else drained my faith

I weathered the storm called living

And looked upon God for forgiving.

As I flogged the steed of progress

Always the remembrance of eternal past

Served guidance to slow dreams yet uncast.

Some dreams are so far fetched

They can't possibly be for real,

Yet from reality, we realize they steal.

[Go to Writer Showcase page to view some more of Mr. Laws' work.]