Reading is a gateway drug into writing. I've always been an avid reader and in middle school I wrote my first poems. I was captivated by the artistic flair poetry had over the narrative vibes of a story. I lived for a metaphor; I died for a deep, thoughtful profession of those big, daunting middle-school feelings. Throughout my life I've weaved in and out of my inner poet. Maybe here I'll channel her back into my basket.