Observations of a Warrior Poet. T. John Mattson

My early lessons taught me to work hard and fight through the obstacles that would be encountered in my life. My poetic efforts began simply, without much structure, as I wrote about the issues that I was dealing with daily. Surviving homelessness and the culture that pierces through it, such as substance abuse, hostility, personal safety, etc., I was compelled to write about topics in a way that was clear and not overly symbolic. I soon began to feel drawn to issues that in my earlier days I was not active in, such as politics. Throughout this journey, most of my other interests would find their way to my paper as I tried to reexamine those concepts from a different vantage point. And though using “old-school” rhyme may not be the most popular these days, it is within my comfort zone as I continue to be a work in progress.