Veterinary instructor and poet

During a dvm360^® interview, Phyllis Cassano, DVM, veterinary instructor at Burlington County Institute of Technology, divulged that her love of writing poetry first blossomed in high school.

“I was selected from the entire United States—each high school selected so many students for their poems and I was 1 of the 7 students. I always loved to write, and I was editor of my school newspaper so it just so happened that poetry was really an offshoot of that,” shared Cassano.

She disclosed that her poems are often inspired by life experiences and encompass topics such as grief, beginning a new career, and much more. One of her muses, in particular, is her grandfather who she wrote a poem for in 1994. Below is a partial excerpt from the original poem:

Dear grandpa,

there was a long time, dear grandpa,

that I never met you,

but when I did—

oh, what love was at sight.”

You reminded me of Charlie Chaplin

with your cane and mustache

and always with a jacket

so prim and proper.

Watch the full video below to hear the entirety of Cassano’s poem, plus more about her passion for writing.