I, Henry Tony Hodges, was born in Texas in 1948 and have never lived outside of the state. My Southern Baptist upbringing helped mold many of my beliefs and develop the culture of my life. The sixties were also formative years as far as the philosophy by which I now live my life. I attended Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, and was in Phi Sigma Kappa Fraternity before transferring to North Texas State University in Denton, Texas, where I graduated in 1974. The next thirty years were spent in human resources administration. I have been writing and painting for only two years, but being creative is a strong motivator. Many of my poems reflect life lessons and regrets, while others are personal comment on current events. My writing and painting have created new ambition that has been void before. I speak in common words to the common person, and hope that I leave anyone who reads or sees my work with something to ponder.