14 Years

Today marks 14 years of my daily writing practice — 
I've written at least one poem a day since a snowed-in morning 
(rare in these parts on the eastern seaboard, probably even 
more rare now because of climate change) in 2010 when I drifted 
over to Dave Bonta's microblog The Morning Porch, and where 
I read his post that day - and was moved to respond in the 
comments box in a poem.  I did that for a few more days 
afterwards; though I'm not sure I posted all of them in this 
same way. Dave noticed, and invited me to post my poems 
on Via Negativa — and I've been doing that ever since.

Out of my daily practice, I've learned some helpful things 
about myself and my process; and I've put together 4 books 
and 4 chapbooks from the running review (and the revisions) 
I do of my writing. At least, these are things that I've found 
to apply to myself—

- Writing is the best way to keep writing.
- Before any thought of publication, there's the joy of 
meeting yourself on the page.
- Doing this (above) reminds me every day that writing 
is an opportunity to play; to follow ideas down rabbit holes, 
discover things, pay attention in this space of writing, 
no matter how brief every day (I typically do 30-45 minutes).
- Writing poems, I've found, is my preferred form for 
"processing" how I experience the world: in language, in images.
- Despite what anyone will tell you about "published is 
published in whatever form," your writing is yours. 

Especially in the last 2 weeks, I feel even more intensely 
how poetry has the capacity to "save" me - from utter, 
unfocused distraction; from utter despair...

I'm very grateful for my daily practice, and I'm very grateful 
for the additional writing community I've become connected 
to through the years, through Dave and Via Negativa.

If you click on this version of this post on my website, 
you'll also see some photos from the poetry zine workshop 
session in the undergraduate+grad Advanced Poetry Workshop 
I'm teaching this fall.