Hear My Heart: Poems and Essays That Speak To Life

Hear My Heart is a compilation of poems written by Donna Amelia Howell Richardson over the course of her life. These poems are a continuation of her first volume of Hear My Heart. As she has continued to write poems over the five years since her first printing, this book also contains special events and people who entered her life and moved her to writing. The poems deal with life and death, and include highlights from Donna's career as an educator; as well as her roles as a wife, mother, community servant, friend, and grandmother. She includes all the remaining poems from her earlier years that were not included in her first volume. The words in this volume, like the first one, will speak to anyone journeying through life and searching for happiness in being a child of God. They are truly written from Donna's heart to an audience of whoever wishes to share her story.

My name is Donna Amelia Howell Richardson and I was born in Jacksonville, Florida. My father worked for Southern Bell for over forty years, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. I attended East 44th Street Baptist Church from my birth until I was around 26 years of age when my husband and I moved our family to the San Mateo neighborhood farther north in Jacksonville. My husband and I both were baptized at East 44th Street Baptist where I had sung in the church choir for many years alongside a very influential Christian role model named Yvonne White. I will always remember her beautiful voice.

I always enjoyed writing, even in my little diary as a small child. I had an English teacher at Andrew Jackson High School named Mrs. Harvey who told me I should be a writer. I was very encouraged by her kind words and continued jotting down verses and poems for the rest of my life. I married my high school sweetheart, Steven, at the age of 19, and together we began the journey of building a family and continuing our post-secondary educations. We both received Masters' Degrees at the University of North Florida, and I chose to achieve a Doctoral Degree at the same institution in Cohort 7 of their Doctoral Program. I became an English teacher at N.B. Forrest High School, and then pursued administration in the Duval County School System. I finished my career after 33 years as the principal at Mandarin High School for the last nine unforgettable years.

During all the schooling and working I still managed to take care of my family, which included my husband and two precious children. I would always jot down poems for special occasions or whenever my heart was happy or burdened. I kept these pieces of papers tucked snugly away until I decided to share them with the world in 2019. I continue to write poems and I now have a second volume. Lord willing, I might even produce a 3rd Volume if I am so blessed to do so. God bless each of you who picks up one of my Hear My Heart Volumes. I pray you find some satisfaction from reading the words that came straight from my heart.