9Hear My Heart is a compilation of poems that were written by Donna Amelia Howell Richardson over the course of her life. They are mostly spiritual in nature because Donna found Jesus as a child and He inspired her all her life. The book contains special events and special 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 a high school principal. Her roles as wife, mother, friend, and grandmother are also front and center in many of her works. The words within this volume will speak to anyone journeying through this life and searching for a companion. They are written from Donna's heart to an audience of whoever wishes to share her story. God Bless. My name is Donna Amelia Howell Richardson and I was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. My father worked for Southern Bell and my mother was a stay-at-home mom. I attended East 44th Street Baptist Church, which was just two blocks from my home from birth until I was around 26 and we moved our family to San Mateo. My husband and I both were baptized at that little church, and I sang in the choir there for many years alongside a very influential Christian role model named Yvonne White. I never forgot her influence in my life and can still hear her singing "His Eye is on the Sparrow" in my dreams. She had a beautiful soprano voice. I always enjoyed writing, even in my little diary as a small child. I had an English teacher at Andrew Jackson High School, Mrs. Harvey, who told me I should be a writer. I was very encouraged by her words and continued jotting down verses and poems for the rest of my life. I married my high school sweetheart, Steven Richardson, at the age of 19, and together we began the journey of building a family and continuing our educations. We both received a Bachelors and Masters Degree from the University of North Florida, and I went back for my Doctorate's Degree at UNF. My education enabled me to become an English teacher at N.B. Forrest High School in 1985, twelve years after I had had my first child. I stayed at home during my two children's formative years, and enjoyed being PTA president at San Mateo Elementary School, and just pleasured in being a mother to my offspring prior to jumping into a very busy career for the next 33 years. Throughout my busy career and letting life just roll over me, I took moments to compose some of my deepest thoughts. I wrote all of these on pieces of paper and just tucked them away until I decided to share them with the world. I am up in years now, and hope to keep writing the next thirty years so I can produce a second volume to my heart-felt feelings.