Views from the Lanai

Patricia Barry belongs to a long-term writing group that blossomed from noted author Madeleine L'Engle's workshops; the group continues to meet, virtually now. She has a B.A. in English from Central Connecticut State University and a J.D. from St. John's University School of Law. Her love of writing and the law led her to New York City where, for thirty-three years, her practice encompassed writing appellate briefs in the workers' compensation field. In 2018, she and her husband, Robert, retired to Palm Coast, Florida. There, inspired by native wildlife-especially the many birds-viewed from her home's lanai, she writes poems and essays full time. As Nature opened her heart, mind, and senses to adapt to an entirely new environment, her hope is that this poetry chapbook may inspire and uplift others in their daily lives. Some of her poems have appeared in St. Anthony Messenger; The Palm Coast Observer; and Of Poets and Poetry, a publication of the Florida State Poets Association.