Poem for Doreen was composed as a gift for my dear friend Doreen Gehry Nelson on the occasion of her eightieth birthday, celebrated in Los Angeles. Doreen was a harpist during her student days at UCLA, giving me the idea to compose a harp solo for her in the form of a musical poem. I premiered Poem for Doreen at the home of Tom Safran, where her party was held. It has since been recorded, and it has been performed on three continents.