Quentin Clingerman, a retired educator and librarian who lives in Monrovia, Maryland, followed his father’s example and was a voracious reader as a child. Que wasn’t much for writing back in those days except to complete his assignments but, with his father’s encouragement to all of his children to attend college, his love of literature led to a teaching career that spanned 35 years and three states.

Although Que has developed his passion for poetry within the past five years, he has always enjoyed it. "I especially like well-written rhyming poetry," he says. Poets who have greatly influenced him are Shakespeare, Robert Frost and Edgar Allan Poe. "There are some Pathetic Poets who have influenced me as well."

Poetic inspiration comes from religious insights and the Word of God; events such as holidays and special occasions, 9-11, anniversaries, the Olympics; nature; travel; people and politics. "It may be something that I’ve read, a TV program, or a discussion that triggers an idea," he said, as well as other poetry. "But I tend to favor my poems that were inspired by my relationship with Him," Que says.

When it comes to writing, "I tend sparingly to re-write or edit," Que says. "That is just plain laziness! I know that the first draft is never polished." As far as being published, Que says "Poetry.com has supposedly published me in several of their anthologies. I never bought one so I can’t prove it!"

As a former teacher, father of three daughters, and grandfather to 13 children, he is an advocate and encourager of family values. He has an idea for a children’s book that is percolating in his mind that he hopes to complete one day. He also spends a lot of time on pathetic.org. He enjoys encouraging new poets, and with very few exceptions congratulates the Poet of the Day.

Que joined pathetic.org in 1999. A year or so later, he became a site administrator for about six months. His heart led him to establish another poetry website, WordChimes, on Valentines Day, 2001. "I wanted a site where anyone of any reading age could come, and the parents would not have to be concerned about what they read," he explained.

At 71, Que acknowledges that some health issues keep him from being as active as he would like. However, at a time in life when "most folks are content to sit around the house and not get themselves involved in new projects," Que is helping establish a church. Deeply committed to Christianity, he jumped at the opportunity to help "grow" a church from a prayer group. Though only in its nascent stages, Que is looking forward to serving as a Sunday School teacher and acting as "spackling" wherever there are other areas that need to be covered. "It’s exciting," he says. "It’s wonderful to be around a group of people who are genuinely excited about church!"

Other passions include gardening, though sometimes his health gets in the way of a full day’s work in his little plot of heaven-on-earth. He describes his yard as: "a burst of chrysanthemums, hosta, hibiscus and peonies; beds of day lilies, white August lilies and (of course) Gabriel’s Trumpet." Adding early spring color are tulips, daffodils, crocus and iris, and annuals, such as geraniums, wax begonias and marigolds, round out his garden.

But his first love is God.

The following is a list of the highlights of Quentin S Clingerman's poetry:

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Author: Mara Meade

The member spotlighted in this month's "Member Spotlight" is chosen by the pathetic.org Spotlight committee, which is made up of a small group of site patrons and administrators. Each month a member is selected for this privilege based upon contributions to pathetic.org and the quality of work.

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