Mama’s Writing is Raising Mothers’ monthly interview series, curated by Deesha Philyaw. Are there days when you feel like a mother who writes, and others when you feel like a writer who is a mother?  Essentially, I am the mother of two only children. They are 16 years apart, and even though they have the same mother, I was in different places in my life with each one. Regardless, their mother was a writer since way before they were born. Children are likely the reason I spent so many years writing poetry. You can always pop the beginnings of a poem out. Then you just keep coming back to it. Nurse it. Rock it. Cajole it to come correct. Until it’s finally ready to get up off your lap and walk around in the world.  How has writing influenced your parenting? I can’t say that it has. I’ve always viewed them as separate. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eight years old. I’ve always viewed writing as my work. Like a salesperson …