When Anatoly Nayman recounts his first meeting with the Russian poet, Anna Akhmatova, he describes her gesture of hospitality. The woman who had let me into the flat brought in a saucer on which lay a lonely boiled carrot, which had been peeled perfunctorily and had already dried up somewhat. Perhaps such was her diet, perhaps it […]
Commit Poetry: Romeo and Juliet – Masks and Divisions
We are sitting at the edge of Michigan’s own slice of the Caribbean—Torch Lake. The water is teal, sometimes turquoise. A handful of children are making little crayfish corrals of sand, circled and fortified by rocks, catching the creatures first with a net and pail. As for us, we’re fortified with turkey sandwiches and bottles of […]
Commit Poetry: The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B. Yeats
Wow. It’s been so long since I’ve posted here, I was automatically logged out and had to go dig up my password. I’ve been seriously tied up with other stuff and have let the blog languish–but I see my Instagram stories are still posting down there on the right, so there’s that. Anyway, a […]
Commit Poetry: Edgar Guest – and My Uncle Edgar
For Edgar Gilmore with congratulations and the best wishes always of another Edgar. Sincerely, Edgar A. Guest June 17, 1939 That’s the inscription inside Edgar A. Guest says: It Can Be Done, a book I found when we were packing up to move. I called my dad the other day. “Who was Edgar Gilmore?” He didn’t know. […]
Commit Poetry: Printing in My Heart’s Wax
Although I’ve forgotten a lot about my high school years, I do recall a fear of poetry, and letting my eyes roam around the room or stare at my book while I mentally begged the teacher not to call on me in class. Yet if I really was so scared, why did I torture […]
One Word Less For Lent 2017 – Day 6 – To Look Younger
To Look Younger For the price of a bag of oranges I’ll be an ass for my id look ten years younger redefined revitalized renewed the wizard says just follow the yellow brick road for a trial run. Word Count: 35 In the stillness, Sandy Note: I read this morning […]
One Word Less For Lent 2017 – Day 5 – Hope of Spring
Hope of Spring Creation’s writing love notes, inking jeweled lines on blue parchment and punctuating with a kiss of red. Snow dust spills in sunlight like makeup glitter, and life’s being conceived under a white sheet– hope of spring. Word count: 36 A repost In the stillness, Sandy
One Word Less For Lent 2017 – Day 4 – Living Each Detail
Living Each Detail “Jesus loved the secret places, getting out of the crowd, walking away to stop and enjoy the beauty of the creation, living each detail to its fullest knowing that our journey in this world can be short . . .” ~Jonathan Altmonte Word Count: 37 Graduate of Compassion’s Leadership […]
One Word Less For Lent 2017 – Day 3 – Fighting For You
Fighting for You One papered me with stickers The other readjusted, removed, stuck herself. They squabbled. We were baffled. Time for timeout? Yuleisy got to the bottom of it She’s fighting for you, she said, because her friend has offended you. Word Count: 38 In the stillness, Sandy Note: These sweet girls are part […]
One Word Less For Lent 2017 – Day 2 – It’s Not About the Gift
It’s Not About the Gift They spread a table with handcrafted hospitality. Take one, they say, and when enough is certain, take another. We, proud, hesitate to accept a free gift. But in the end it’s not about the gift it’s about the love. Word Count: 39 Note: I took a whole suitcase of gifts to the Dominican […]
