The September Poetry Party was a swiftly moving prayer.
It was filled with praise and heartfelt gratitude. I feel blessed to offer this space for poet-friends to gather once a month, to luxuriate in time—to listen, to write, to play—to belong together as poets in the world.
The invitation was to expand our attention and awareness—to stretch out our writing time, our unabashed gratitude and to risk delight. We listened to poems by Jack Gilbert, Kei Miller, Laura Foley, Ross Gay and Andrea Potos and wrote under the influence of their poems. There were beautiful conversations around the art of attention, how we can gather details (towards poems) in this digital world, and the practice of creating more intimacy and connection when we come together via Zoom, by remembering the humanness of the people inside those square boxes—which can be used as creative portals—to take us into richer conversations on the page.
Heather, this afternoon was much needed. Sending heartfelt gratitude to you. The question: "How did I become this particular version of me?" will be accompanying me over the next several days, I'm sure of it. I feel poems within the wondering.
Listen to me read A Brief for the Defense by Jack Gilbert
We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in
the ruthless
furnace of this world.
—Jack Gilbert
“Feeling very filled up. Your poetry weaving offerings are magical. Thank you!”