Born in:on Blue

In the last week or so, I have said to more than one person that my return to poetry makes me feel born again.

I do not know how not to use religious language for this experience, but I do think that spirituality and language have the same geneologies.

I’m talking goodnight ma- goodnight pa-goodnight johnboy-goodnight jimbob sort of intimacies. It’s blue on blue on blue – which is to say, oceans of connection threads. If this could be catalogued, someone would do it.

Since I adore catalogues and lists, I will make one for you.

// In the last 30 days, I have //

1. Gone to 4 excellent readings in LA:

Annenberg Beach House – Red Hen Press (4/28)

Stories Books – THE RwlrGiHtTe Read (4/21)

Poetric Research Bureau – (4/18)

Flintridge Bookstore – Rattle Magazine (4/12)

2. Read my 1st poem publicly in years (@ Stories Books, Echo Park)

3. Only had a minor freak-out when an artist friend of mine introduced me as a poet to another artist friend of hers. All this in a gallery where the featured artist was celebrating animal playfulness – which made it feel all the more sacred.

4. Non-begrudgingly completed 21 of 30 days of the Whole30 thing. It has been wonderful. I have fallen in love with cooking again.

5. Learned that many poets are very unassuming, kind people— often a tad introverted, or slightly awkward—and always (always) appreciate being told (even via email or Twitter) that their work matters.

6. Joined a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) – on The Writing of Poetry.

7. Bought Wheelock’s Latin and started re-learning that wonderful old language, again. The one we have strained 60% of our words from.

It has been a good month. Blue on blue.

[image by simone vollbrecht // creative commons]