Born in England, raised on the Mediterranean island of Malta, I have been immersed in the poetic all my life. My consciousness has been shaped by the rituals and pageantry of Southern European Catholicism, with its saints, fireworks and marching bands. Now I live in Chicago, with its multi-cultural influences and opportunities; here, I am a citizen of the world...Having grown up in a five hundred year old house, I am drawn towards things archaic, particularly the magnificent neolithic temples which grace the islands of Malta and Gozo. There, I lead pilgrims to study archaeology,to experience the sacred and to journey inwards into the recesses of their own sanctuaries...Identifying with the Sleeping Lady found in the 6,000 year old Hypogeum, I am the Woman Dreamer, one who feels the Word in her flesh, hears it pulse in her blood, knows it in her heart --until the syllables force themselves to speech. The truth about me is that I'm a poet --a crafter of words lured by magic and mystery, by paradox and uncertainty. Happily, my slice of life is buttered on both sides, layered with epiphanies great and small, spread with ambiguity, riddled with enigmas and breaks in consciousness...I have studied English, Ministry and Theology and have acquired a few degrees along the way. Having raised two children of my own, I have taught thousands of children belonging to others -- as well as their parents and their grandparents! I have received guidance and given guidance, especially through Spiritual Direction and retreats. As the Sunday writer for Living Faith, I had an audience of millions world wide; I have now launched my own online scripture service, Sunday BibleTalk.In addition to publishing 10 books, I have written over 100 articles and given several hundred presentations. But it is not the words that matter -- only their hidden source deep within the core of self, deeper than abstract conventions or poetic license,deeper, too, than dexterity, more seductive than art or logic, power or prestige...I speak of the smithy of a poet's soul, that place where words are forged from grace, hammered by truth, nailed by pain, that place where the interplay of light and darkness creates both gift and curse, laughter and anguish...The truth about me is that I know how to weep and how to dream, how to wonder and be surprised into joy...