Beverly Mclaughlin

"Inside My Sunshine Closet": the Poetry of Beverly Mclaughlin

God has forever whispered poetic words into my spirit. Those words always moved me to a most awesome place in my life. One place in particular that brought me much delight was where I would often go. I called this place, "My Sunshine Closet". As a child, I would go to a closet that was located in my mother's 2nd floor apartment at 1341 S. Tripp where I lived for lots of years. Seventeen to be exact. To this place is where I would go to be alone and write poetry. I would hear the pidgeons cooing outside of the small window in the closet. The sun always shined through the small window in that closet when I was there. That is why I called it my sunshine closet. However, the most fascinating thing about that closet was that my mother would store old clothes in it which often times I would find myself cushioned upon. Imagining that I was in my best bed. A bed where God held me. A bed where I would be in a total state of rest. Sometimes I would snuggle in the clothes and go off to sleep. It was always warm and cozy there. I really appreciated having that place in my life. Because it was there that I received my greatest inspiration to write poetry. For, "Inside My Sunshine Closet" I discovered that God existed in me.