Today is the last day of the year that shall go unnamed. It has been a hard year for many. However, there were some positives. Many projects that had been delayed or simply forgotten, have been finished. Some (a little) of the garage has been cleaned out and organized. I finally had the time to finish my book. Zoom, while a poor substitute for personal contact, has been an unexpected… Read More »Happy New Year
What a strange year this has been. I can’t wait until 2020 is over and 2021 begins. I find it difficult to believe that we are only in month ten of the epidemic in the US. This has been a year of anxiety, pain, loneliness, and economic hardship for many. I have tended to turn inward, imagining in my mind’s eye, more pleasant times in beautiful places. That, of course,… Read More »A Different Holiday Time
After a couple years of writing, selecting, editing, re-editing, re-re-editing, and all the many other details of producing the final product, my book is finally here. My primary objective with this project has always been to produce something I am proud of. To me, it is art. I can’t take sole credit. Cathy, my wife of 51 years is my excellent critic and editor. Ryan, the book designer, always does… Read More »Something To Be Proud Of
At one of the readings for Minnesota In The Raw, a wise and perceptive participant noted that there is a sense of optimism in my poetry. I agree. The source of that optimism is nature, and specifically, the resilience of nature and that resilience is related to its wildness. Yes, I understand that we humans can denigrate and destroy that wildness, seemingly without care or caution. And yes, sometimes I… Read More »Optimism
From where does inspiration for a poem come? I am sure it is different for each writer, but for me, being in the wild, in a forest, or on a mountain or lake sparks creativity. One of my favorite times is walking the dog around midnight, especially with a bright moon. We would go into the forest and listen for the heavy hooves of startled deer, the call of owls,… Read More »On Inspiration