Tere Sievers admits, as a New Jersey transplant, it took a while for her to embrace the subtle seasons of Southern California. A long marriage to a native Californian, two daughters, and three grandchildren, though, have set deep roots for her in Long Beach. A retired Marriage and Family Therapist, Teri is the author of Striking Distance, a chapbook published by Arroyo Seco Press. "Writing poetry has helped me understand loss and the passage of time," she says.