One resident of Cedar View Apartments in South Whitehall is touching people’s lives with her words, poetry and music.

Shirley Ann (Bentz) Binkley, born in 1935, in Easton, has written a book titled “Inside Out,” which includes 90 poems about loved ones, friends, animals, flowers, the different seasons and more.

“To tell a story, and write with emotion and feelings, has been my journey,” Binkley said.

Binkley graduated from Easton High School in 1953 with straight A’s in English and was an executive secretary most of her working days.

While an executive secretary at Air Products, Binkley’s secretary, Patricia Brey, told her she wrote nice letters and dared her to write a poem.

“So I went into my office and wrote the poem ‘The Summer’s End,’” Binkley said. “My love for words and sense of humor was obvious to many.”

Writing business letters was her forte and she enjoyed writing for others.

“I would create birthday cards for people, type various publications for different organizations and menus for a friend who had a restaurant,” Binkley said. “In the early ’90s, rhyming words were coming into my head without any forethought of writing,” she said. “I could write a poem in a very short time, due to the ‘gift’ I was receiving.”

Binkley was never sure where this “gift” was coming from, but the words “flowed like wine,” so she went with the flow and wrote more than 90 poems.

Binkley wrote 23 of those 90-plus poems in six days.

In 1956, she married Ronald K. Binkley and they moved to Allentown.

“We had three children Chris Alan, Michele Rene and Scott Michael,” Binkley said. “My writing process became dormant for 11 years after retiring to Florida in 1994.

“It resumed in October 2005, when I moved back to Breinigsville, after being widowed.”

Many long, lonely nights ensued, giving her time to think of her youth, past and her life in general.

“It wasn’t long before I caught the writing bug again,” she said. “I have had nothing but praise from all who have read and enjoyed or listened and enjoyed my work,” Binkley. “I have made people laugh and cry with my words.”

Binkley has received numerous awards from poetry contests and her work has been published in several anthologies:

Creative Arts and Science Enterprises published her poem “Hair” in its “Language of The Soul anthology,” and “Ghosts” in its “Treasures from the Heart.”

She has also been recognized by the World Poetry Movement for her poem “Stars In Our Hearts,” International Who’s Who in Poetry for “A Celebration of National Poetry Month,” and Great Poets Across America.

Binkley was recognized by Poetry Unlimited for her poems “Carnival Nights,” “Holidays,” and “Turn Back the Page,” and by Poetry Press for “Celebration of life” and “Milestones of Memory.”

In November 2011, at age 76, she downsized her home and moved into a senior high-rise in Allentown.

Binkley has always loved music and would try to play her organ by ear.

“I managed to play a little but only for my own enjoyment,” she said. “I could not read music.”

Prior to her move, words and music would enter her “space.”

“I would wake up during the night with both (words and music) in my head,” Binkley said. “I couldn’t believe the music I was hearing.”

“With this music invading my sleep, I would get up and play the notes on the organ until it sounded like what I was hearing,” Binkley explained. “I would then write the notes on paper. From there, the lyrics seemed to follow automatically.

“Most times, the lyrics remained as they first came to me.”

After reading what she wrote, Binkley realized the words were based on her life experiences, heartaches, thoughts and desires, much like her poetry.

She would play the melody and chords until she heard the right blend.

Binkley eventually taught herself how to place her songs onto “EZ play” sheet music, using a program called “Finale.”

Of course, the sheet music is very generic, she said.

Binkley, who will be 82, on June 27, said her goal is to publish her book, “Inside Out, to share with people and to get her words into their minds and hearts.

She also is working on “Inside Out Vol. 2,” which will encompass her new poems and 43 music lyrics.

***

Editor’s note: Shirley Ann Binkley’s poems will be featured in the Parkland and Northwestern Press weekly papers on the Opinion page.