This profile of Pat D’Amico was first published on August 19, 2019. This update includes Pat’s latest light verse from Northwest Prime Time’s March/April 2022 print edition.

Pat D’Amico has written, illustrated and published three poetry booklets. She was born in Bellingham and lived there until she graduated from Western Washington University in 1956. She moved to Seattle and taught third grade at Webster School in Ballard for seven years until she retired to raise her two children. Pat has been in the same house for 54 years in Kirkland. She is currently trying to downsize and found that it is fun to haul things out of cupboards and drawers and sell them on eBay, which has become her most recent hobby. “I’m never bored or lonely because there’s always something to do.” She started writing verses when her kids were in high school. She read two newspapers a day and always liked the column writers. When she found something funny or ironic, she often would send a poem to the columnist. From 1986 until 2001 when they quit publishing poems, The Wall Street Journal bought a total of 214 poems. “Ideas for columns are everywhere. Human nature never lets me down. I usually stick to poems, but every once in a while a little story begs to be told.”

Ode to my chair

I have a favorite chair that I like to plop in.

Friends will find me there if they chance to stop in.

I move around a lot, but it is evident that

My favorite chair is truly my natural habitat.