Meet Bonnie
You Have a Story to Tell
I have a passion for writing poetry, creative non-fiction and memoir. The best way to learn and grow is through personal stories.
I encourage everyone to share their stories.
I am also the founder of Write Your Brand Story™ where I help professionals and entrepreneurs
grow their business and build their brand through storytelling.
Grandpa Battles Our Lady of the Angels School Fire (Chicago, 1958)
I opened the tattered scrapbook
and see my grandpa, a fireman,
standing with two squad brothers
who hold a hose—the breath of life—
as water forces and suffocates the blaze.
I know he never thought twice
to rush in, brush away the flames that changed
structures and souls. I imagine hellish wailing
and silent praying from those who knew
they were out of reach.
The Family Flower
Particularly prolific in May,
the creamy white gardenias
fade to pearly white opaque
like my grandmother's elbow skin.
With prominent golden stamens,
they grow sweeter than a rose.
Fat buttery yellow clusters of buds
bloom in whorls of three
from my wrist corsage or auntie's birthday vase.
Like sisters, Mary Lou, Kathleen and Peggy,
they're bold against glossy foliage.
Known to cover and cascade over,
they tolerate harsh climate with little cover,
as thin canes climb, train their growth,
some heights higher than most botanicals.