a poem
the woods where
you built a fort
three hundred and seventy
moons ago-
bare back upon
hard earth, eyes
fixed on sky
that journal you burned
but still think about
all these years later
home is whatever holds you
as the river rises
as the storm rages
as you sing yourself
back to sleep
change is in the air
The goldenrod is blooming. The hydrangea, drying. The days a little shorter. Nights, cooler.
Can a thing remain constant throughout a lifetime? I believe for some humans, this can be partially true- a “forever home", a marriage, parenthood. But even within these constant things, the atmosphere therein is regularly in flux.
There is a shift taking place behind the scenes here at The Poetry Journals. One that will add more depth to what goes on here. One that will allow me to bring more of myself to the table. One that will aid us poets in gathering. One that will also be more accessible.
I heard you when you said you’d like to write together. So more on that very soon, ok?
‘Mothering’ and ‘poetry’ are two words that carry more weight than one might initially give them credit for. They seem, to me, to hold… everything. They aren't just things one does, they are ways of being.
Upon arriving home to Maine last week, I received Brit Washburn’s new publication Homing In: Attempts on a Life of Poetry and Purpose in the mail. Thus far, it is everything I was hoping for. The first essay is titled ‘The Edge: Of Motherhood and Poetics’. Here, a snippet:
“To be a poet, to my mind, is to be aware, as I once read in a children’s book about the five senses: to ‘see all there is to see, hear all there is to hear, smell all there is to smell, taste all there is to taste, touch all there is to touch’ To pay attention: to be curious and alert; to be receptive and reflective, reverent and irreverent, romantic and skeptical; to mourn and to praise; to contemplate, celebrate, and salvage what we can of the universe, on behalf of our species.”
It was a joy of 2023 to design Brit’s website. This is one way my work as an artist takes shape. Are you interested in support on such a project? Whether via a website, chapbook, blog, or some simple form of social media, your writing deserves to be in the hands of the people you long to connect with. I’d be happy to help make that desire a reality. You can learn more about this work here.
Looking forward to writing with you, to see the ways you continue to build a foundation, and in some ways change the shape, of this home 🤍
I will be ordering this book! I love the quote from it and I will love to see if I can squeeze in time for writing together😀