Saffron mood — Surprise flowers are a good strategy in love. A friend just reminded me of some translations I wrote a while back of Tamil love poetry. Maybe I’ll translate more this spring.
Outdoors
In process
Afloat together - I like accident in creative things. For example, this is one of the reasons I choose to know very little about jazz. Names of musicians, dates, recordings... blurrily. The music sneaks up on me. And I don’t consciously remember things when I’m creating. The sudden synchronicity of image, voice, a boat on…
Pure poetry
One of my students sent me some snow-day poems. And that has made all the difference. We work on some images, phrases. While storms rush through and it becomes increasingly painful to read the newspaper every day, one wonders how else to support the growth of love and hope in this world. And then through…
Fluid meditation
It had not acquired one permanent wrinkle after all its ripples. ---Henry David Thoreau In poetry, circumambulating an object is the same as walking into the center of it. These two---poetry and walking near water---are my favorite ways into the deeps. And keeping a poetry notebook next to my busy life has become that necessary shortcut to serenity.
Top 20 reasons to give poetry books as gifts
The holiday catalogues have started to arrive in my mailbox. And while I'm admiring how pretty they are as decorations for my recycling bin, I felt the need to write a little guidance on surviving this annual season of materialism. Here's my top-20 list of reasons to make it easy on yourself --- buy poetry books for everyone on…
Continue reading ➞ Top 20 reasons to give poetry books as gifts
Daily
Five years ago, I started over with poetry--- just like this, by writing a poem every day for National Poetry Month.
Surface
Investigating the ice on Rockland Lake this weekend, we concluded that walking on water is the coolest. The shadows we cast illuminated the strangeness of the surface: opaquely reflective and permeable at the same time. Lately I've been investigating my children's understanding of poetry. Though my older two don't engage with me in writing anymore…
Light
Sometimes watching the dark and the great burning sky every day are all the poetry I'd ever want. My children are off to school this week after a long, sweet summer. This photograph is at the beach in St. Joseph, Michigan.
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