Jose Mari Gotera is a resident of Forth Worth, Texas, U.S.A and formerly from the beautiful tropical islands of Las Islas Filipinas (Philippines) where he had grown up. He misses its luscious mangoes, the pungent but sweet nectar of the durian fruit as well as  its dark volcanic sands and the rumblings of the tide during full moon . He would like to believed that his poetry is influenced by both native and Spanish poets such as Tomas Pinpin and Lorca. But equally savors the poetry of Anna Akhmatova, Mark Strand and Samuel Beckett. His work has appeared most recently in Poor Mojo's Almanack, OOV and Under the Clock Tower (a print journal). His other poems have also appeared in various print and online journals through the years. His  goal is to continue writing poetry as part of his journey into life. He has grown to love the State of Texas where its beautiful and colorful people makes Texas his second home.