No matter what age, what generation we belong to, we all have inspiration to share and it behooves us, one and all, to pay attention and learn from each other.

Cheryl Babirad – 22 June 2024

The Back Flap

Travel with Cheryl Babirad back to a time of youth and innocence that tried to transform the upheaval of an earlier time using love, peace, and brotherhood. Then follow her into current times where we find the transcendence of dissent and relevance of the need for solutions that bring us together. Poetry is timeless!

About the book

What is the book about?

Reflections: Past and Present is a reflective opportunity to connect generations past and present through the sharing of feelings, realities, joys, memories and loss, faith, hope, coping, and comfort in peaceful resolutions, the commonalities within our lives.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing this book in high school when my assignment was to write a poem on a subject of my choice. At the time, the Vietnam War had begun and thus, I began writing, A Soldier’s Thoughts. As I graduated from high school into my first years of college, I knew and corresponded with soldiers who served and witnessed the dissension on campus of those who protested the draft.

 How long did it take you to write it?

I continued writing the original poems and prose throughout my life thus far, through high school, college, my teaching career, marriage and family. My book is a compilation of my feelings and lifetime experiences, relationships intermittently through the 1960’s into the 2000’s.

 Where did you get the idea from?

The idea for adding to and compiling my poetry and prose came from my daughter, Christie Leigh Babirad and my son, Robert Babirad who are also published authors. They read my poetry and prose suggesting I put it all together and submit it for publishing to share and inspire others. I wanted readers to know, as they reflect upon my words, that life is a circle, poetry is timeless, goals and peace CAN be achieved, despite obstacles in our paths, if we resolve to find positive solutions by bringing everyone together in unity.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The struggles came only in re-living the losses and difficult memories of the past.

What came easily?

What came easily was the flow of my words once my feelings were acknowledged and my purpose of inspiring, helping others became forefront.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

My characters are most definitely borrowed from real world people who I know or have known.

Do you have a target reader for this book?

My target reader for this book is any person young or older who is looking for inspiration, hope, consolation, peace. As for the age of my target reader, I would say it would be 16 and above.

How was writing this book different from what you’d experienced writing previous books?

My other books have been a children’s series, a pre-teen novel, and my first adult novel which has not yet been published. Reflections: Past and Present is my first poetry and prose book and it is totally a time capsule of my original poems that encapsule the themes of reality, joy, memories and loss, faith, hope, coping, caring throughout the 1960’s into the 2000’s. It presents a reflective opportunity to connect generations past and present.

What new things did you learn about writing, publishing, and/or yourself while writing and preparing this book for publication?

I learned that there are so many commonalities that go beyond generations and yes, history does repeat itself. No matter what age, what generation we belong to, we all have inspiration to share and it behooves us, one and all, to pay attention and learn from each other. In unity, there is peace.

End of Interview:

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Get your copy of Reflections: Past and Present from Amazon US or Amazon UK.