Enjoy today, because tomorrow Lent begins.
Can't tell you why this song is in my head. Maybe because it's so awesomely bad it's good. Or maybe I'm looking toward spring. Or maybe the constant bad news about the economy is wearing thin. Or maybe I'm channeling Jan Brady.
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Everybody in my office has had some sort of contagion that keeps circulating among us. Fortunately, I've managed to stay away from it but I have a feeling it's coming around. Hacking coughs, runny noses--I get enough of that at home!
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As I packed my bag for work, I noticed that I'm lugging around three poetry books, a novel, the latest issue of Poets and Writers, and a notebook. Why do I need all this stuff? It's not like I can read poetry in the office.
(FYI, the books in my bag are Matthew Dickman's All-American Poem, Sarah Gambito's Delivered, Paul Guest's My Index of Slightly Horrifying Knowledge, and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love.)
At the end of the day, I will take them all out and put them on my nightstand to read. With any luck, I'll get to one of them tonight.
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As for the reference to Lent above, for the record, I am a lapsed Catholic. I probably won't give up anything as I have in past years. Not sure why I'm holding on this last vestige of Catholicism because I haven't gone to church in a very long time. Old habits die hard, I guess.
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I've been en fuego with poetry submissions: five this month. The flip side is that I haven't been writing much poetry. I'll post my March to-do list tomorrow, which will help me think through what I'd like to do ahead of National Poetry Month.
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Do you think our president knows about National Poetry Month?
12 comments:
I lug books, too. Can't help it. What's that saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water?" Maybe you're holding on to the parts that matter most to you.
Mine's up.
And speaking of videos, please check out Zetta Elliott.
I confessed!
I do the same thing with poetry books, but I feel better knowing they are there.
Marshamarshamarsha-- Loved the video!
I have given up chocolate every year for Lent since I can remember, but decided not to this year because I'm 40. (I figure, I've done my time.)
I used to give up chocolate and sodas. Now, not so much.
I'm giving up Diet Coke. Wish me well.
I gave up lugging books and then realized how many times it would be nice to have a book to read (waiting rooms, outer offices, traffic jams . . .).
If I had a book of poems with me, I could sneak out of boring meetings, read a poem, and return with something more meaningful to contemplate during the rest of the meeting.
And poetry books are usually thin and easy to carry.
For Lent, instead of giving something up, I'll add something meaningful--a poetry book or two to my bag!
Nice, Kristin.
If could sneak out of boring meetings to read poetry, I'd never get any work done!
:)
Kristi, good luck with that!
I like the idea of lent, of looking at our lives and thinking about what we can give up that would be a sacrifice, but also a growing experience. I might participate this year, even though I, too, am a lapsed Catholic.
Presbyterians don't seem to do the giving things up for Lent - it's more a time for special Lenten study groups - Bible study, or becoming better informed on world issues, for instance. I was in my teens before I even came across the idea of giving anything up for Lent
I think he does know about National Poetry Month. :)
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