I started writing poetry in my early forties. When I was younger I was much shier in my writings, and never would have imagined I would someday write my own poems. I used to read a lot of poetry, mostly the Romanian classics like Mihai Eminescu, George Cosbuc, Topirceanu, Alexandri, the French poets Baudelaire, La Fontaine, or the likes of Pablo Neruda whom I later discovered. My poetry is inspired by life, yet, just like the classics, when I write, I like to let my imagination go and pretend that I am composing a fi ctional piece. This is why, sometimes even the rhythm changes, not only the rhyme of each verse within the poem. I have a poetic nature, and I am drawn to metaphors, but I can also use description to depict a story in the most honest, direct way, while allowing for the poetical value to be revealed within the content of the whole poem. I do not like to be constrained in any way, and my poetry is generally free verse with some rhyme. I get my inspiration from love, spirituality or politics.