Poetry
I first registered for Lexington Poetry Month in 2015, but could not bring myself to publish a poem. Then in 2016 I dedicated myself to the effort and managed to post 12 poems and then the next year 16 poems. In 2018 it was 15, in 2019 it was only nine, in 2020 it was 13, and in 2021 it was 17. I know the quality of my poetry is uneven at best, but I am happy to have made poetry a priority every June for the past six years. Even if the endeavor has not made me a better poet, it has definitely made me a better writer and teacher of other writers. I also know that engaging with other writers from the beginning of the pandemic until now has also made me a better, and happier, writer. If you are interested in becoming a better and happier writer I urge you to find your own writing community or join mine!
Other Houses
This may be a weird invitation to write as it is part of my homework for my next Gauntlet session to read some of Katerina Stoykova’s poetry, but as I was thinking about her life and work I decided to offer it all up to you as surely there is something there to inspire: What…
Rest In Grace
I had a very different writing invitation planned for this week, but the universe intervened when Kentucky writer, farmer and advocate Wendell Berry died at 92 on Aug. 31. Unlike several of my Kentucky writer friends (see Liz Prather’s What Wendell Berry Taught Me About Being a Teacher), I never met Berry, but his words…
Farming Songs and Happiness
The world knows we lost Dolly Parton on Aug. 25, but the truth is that her legacy is in safe hands and will live on in our hearts and playlists. There is so much to celebrate about the gift that was Dolly Parton from her talent to her intelligence and humor to her beautiful soul.…
Ripped From The Headlines
As one of my Lexington Poetry Gauntlet side quests, I am taking a documentary poem workshop taught by Marianne Worthington that I am finding very inspiring as a writer but also think could be tremendously useful for teaching writing – argumentation in particular. This is a definite endorsement of both Worthington and the Carnegie Center…
Blessings
I wrote a blessing for my great-niece Clementine (born Feb. 19) and now that a great-nephew is expected I am contemplating what blessing I hope to offer for this newest addition to our family. This business of writing blessings is a challenge as so much feels trite and generic and already trademarked by Hallmark (so…
Celebrating the Cento
I have been celebrating the Cento for the entire month of July and I am just not ready to let it go yet! My obsession began when one of my LexPoMo friends shared this poetic delight with me: A LexPoMo Sort of Day: A Cento. I was immediately inspired to create Triginta Cento. Of course,…
June 30 2026
Today is the last day of LexPoMo and I cannot believe that I managed 30 poems. This is a first for me and likely the last although who knows where I will be as a poet next year. It is exciting to achieve that milestone at least once and I am quite pleased with my…
June 29 2026
Am I finished with my cowboy era? Too soon to tell but I think perhaps for at least a little while so enjoy: America loves a cowboy. How often do you think about what you will leave in your wake? How do you want to impact the world? How do you want to survive it?…
June 28 2026
Today’s poem definitely falls under the category of Sean Corbin made me do it. What is the true measure of wealth and why do we so often seek after false gold? Image by Dimitris Vetsikas from Pixabay
June 27 2026
Today’s LexPoMo poem came of something that Sean Corbin made me do during a Poetry Gauntlet session: The Road. It felt appropriate to post today as I’m home fresh from this month’s meeting. What betrayals and beauty has life delivered? How do you know which gleanings to nurture and which to excise? Image by Spencer Wing from Pixabay
June 26 2026
Today’s LexPoMo poem was conceived by a clip from Sergei Parajanov‘s The Color of Pomegranates: Praise to the lovers of books. What rituals are you crafting for tomorrow and beyond?
June 25 2026
Today’s poem, The Wind, explores my love-hate relationship with the subject. What fires do you intend to start with your words? How do you fuel the fires of others? Image via Pixabay