Cathy Mellen Our Fall 2020 Contest Winner

Cathy Mellen Our Fall 2020 Contest Winner I am very pleased to announce that our dailywisdomwords.com Fall poetry contest winner is poet and blogger Cathy Mellen. Congrats Cathy! 1. Where are you from, and please tell us about your life and your home? ️ I am from Lowell, Massachusetts.  Home to Ed McMahon, Bette Davis and Jack Kerouac. I am a mom to three children and a grandma to two beautiful granddaughters.  I left the big city four years ago, moving thirty minutes away to the farm and country scenery.  2. When did you start writing, and what was the inspiration that sparked your writing career? ️ My first experience in writing was at age fourteen when I wrote a poem about a bird leaving an abusive lifestyle,  I was the bird.  I always knew I wanted to be a writer but shamed by my childhood, I chose to become a cook and caterer for twenty-five years. A car accident on my way home from work in 2015 left me disabled and a lot of free time to put over thirty years of writing into multiple manuscripts ready for publication.   3. I understand you have quite a back story. Please share with us what you want us to know about your life. ️ Unfortunately between the ages of five and eleven years old, I was a trophy in a child predators sick world and I lived it all while under my birth mothers watch.  I ran at age eleven and went on to live over thirty years believing I was ten years old when I ran. Repressed memories ate age forty-five were of my last year living with my birth family.  Resulting in a walk into my hometown police department and an investigation into multiple unsolved murders in my hometown of Lowell Massachusetts.   4. You mentioned to me that you write a blog on your own website. Please talk about your blog. ️  I started my blog to bring awareness towards childhood trauma, family secrets and being a statistic of abused children who grew up.  I share the courage, strength and positivity that I used as my stepping stones.  Along with sharing my poetry, Christmas poetry and a side of my comical fiction.   My blog is free to join, read and encourage.  https://shatter-the-silence.mn.co/landing?space_id=820640 5. What are your plans for the future of your writing career. ️  My plans are to publish my work.  I have a two part Memoir, multiple childhood trauma, poetry and comical fiction manuscripts all ready.  I am currently working on my tenth book called 33 Cases of Karma ( Thirty-three comical short stories of when karma strikes back)  6, Can you share with us your winning poem?   An Open Book  I write the society of a world gone wrong  The hate, the crimes and the lives now gone. I write the reality the whole world reads The scars, the wounds, the pain that bleeds. I write the melody the whole world sings The laughter, the tears, the simple things. I write the love in a world gone cold The dreams, the wishes and stories untold. I write the words I placed in a poem For all the world we call our home. I read the society where lies belong Shame, secrets and a shattered song. I read the reality this whole world needs The survivor’s in courage forever now leads.  I read the melody the whole world brings The freedom of birds, queens and kings. I read the love this world does hold Hidden in cracks, waiting to unfold. I read the words I placed in this poem From my heart and straight to your home. 7. What does winning the dailywisdomwords.com poetry contest mean to you? ️  It means a real lot to me.  I was shocked, honored and greatly appreciated hearing I was selected as the Fall 2020 contest winner.  Being recognized for my poetry is definitely an honor I appreciate and will carry for a lifetime.   Thank you Cathy for your kind participation in our contest!