May was finishing up the last-minute details on my “Pencil Man” chapbook, revising poems until the very last minute (can you relate?), and pushing the proof button! Books arrive early next week so I can personally inscribe each copy ordered. I am deeply grateful to the early readers who generously reviewed this book. Get your copy now to be included in the Zoom launch celebrations on Friday, June 21 (Happy Hour Zoom, 7 pm EDT) and/or Saturday, June 22 (Tea & Chocolate Hour, 11 am EDT). I’m thrilled to share this book with you!
May was attending the Camden Poetry Festival and meeting Pádraig Ó Tuama whose genius is palpable. It was watching young people read the poems they’d written that were posted all over town on storefront windows—food for the soul.
It was eating my way through Camden because that’s what I do when I travel. It was discovering a restaurant called 40 Paper and another (in Belfast) called Dos Gatos Gastro Pub, knowing I would fly back to Maine just to experience these two restaurants again. Did I mention the cocktails?
It was discovering that one of my poems will be printed in the autumn edition of a gorgeous literary magazine (stay tuned!) and earning $200 for that “one” poem. A magazine committed to amplifying and centering underrepresented voices, paying artists and writers fairly for their work, and redistributing profits to social justice causes. 💕
May was paying …
Attention to Detail
A slender stream of light peeking out from under the curtains
darkening the room. Deep sleep. A fireplace layered with river
stone and a minuscule gas flame for ambiance. Three separate
stacks of books in a room with two beds and one person.
Camden Harbor. Crows sweeping the sky. Coral-colored cushions
covering wicker chairs on a tiny deck. The muffled sound of voices
in the next room. A ping on my phone; Elizabeth saying, Let’s do
the nouns and verbs workshop tomorrow.
It’s a date.
The Keurig Coffee maker I don’t know how to use even though
the aroma of fresh coffee feels like a perfect accompaniment
to a burgeoning day.
A television that is ‘not’ on and will remain dark for the duration.
This week, no news is good news.
The tree outside my window: hues of pistachio and summer
pear. That brilliant blush of spring against gray sky.
Voices of kindred spirits, who call me out of my cocoon
for a second visit to my new favorite restaurant, ringing
in my ears.
Don’t forget to order your copy of Pencil Man!
sneak peek
Currently I’m in Rockport. Loving the Maine coast.
Hooray for Pencil Man! And for travel that leads you to poetry and new plates. :)