Tahli's Publishing House         

A sensitive young man raised on the streets of the Bronx is an oxymoron; these harsh conditions usually produce drug dealers, thugs, murderers, convicts and all other types of unlawful individuals. In David’s case, it produced the perfect blend of street smarts and book smarts. Intelligent enough to formulate the thought and put it on paper, Ghetto enough to keep it real and tell it like it is.

David’s journey began 20 something years ago. At the age of 6, his life was turned upside when his mother (who was dealing with her own afflictions) put him and his older siblings into foster care. His father (who was too busy being a rolling stone) had no interest in getting his children out. After a series of homes, they were adopted by a cruel individual who cared more about buying houses then caring for the welfare of the kids. Eventually his torment would end when she put him out at the age of 14. Back in the system again, he literally earned his degree from the school of hard knocks at a tender age. His journey led him to an angel in the form of a lady who lived directly across the street from his adoptive home. She tried her best to give him the love of a mother that he so desperately needed.

His only escape from his harsh family life was school, where he excelled at math, science and music. However, the lack of guidance and parental supervision contributed to his excessive absenteeism in high school. Thankfully this did not stop him from getting his diploma. He is probably one of the few people who can cut 2 years of high school and still graduate on time. It was in his senior year that David discovered he had a talent for writing. In that year he wrote for the school newspaper. He also took a creative writing class where his teacher, Mr. Rossner, told the class , “Put a pen to the paper and write what you feel.” David has been writing poetry ever since. In college he met his 1^st wife who had another lifelong lesson to teach him about, infidelity and birth control. Eventually he was reunited with his family and started a family of his own. All the while perfecting his craft between NY and Atlanta, doing open mics and selling his poetry in stores and out of the trunk of his car.

Most of the lessons he has learned in his life, he has attributed to being the youngest child watching and learning from his older siblings’ mistakes. He has discovered that being a father has made him determined to be a better parent than his own and leave a legacy his daughter can be proud of. His poetry has been a therapeutic outlet that has helped him heal and deal with his crazy rollercoaster of a life. He has also discovered the true meaning of poetry and the positive effect it can have on other peoples’ lives. He is a true example of “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” As David states in his book Past,Present,Future: The Life And Times Of A Bronx Poet, “Life is full of changes, the people we meet and the decisions we make forge the individual we are today”.