Confession Tuesday

Happy Confession Tuesday! This is the afternoon remix. Share a little of yourself with us and we will do the same.


Look at my warrior in training! Ella received an achievement trophy in Tae Kwondo. She's fierce! Not to be outdone, my son's team won their first flag football game on Sunday. Both kids are excelling in everything they do. All I can do is stand back and watch.

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Wish they gave moms trophies once in a while. You know, awards for "Best Made Bed," and "Best Homemade Burrito Made Out of Leftovers EVER!" I want something I can put on my mantle and pull out for the witching hour, which in my house is between 5-7 p.m. That's when my kids leave their bodies and haunt me.

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I am writing this after a long day of teaching. Today my creative writing class discussed the poem "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop. The class said I had a negative take on the poem. They explained how losing stuff is just a part of life and we should all get over it. Gosh, I must have read it in my poetry voice (you know the voice, which is more earnest than negative, I think. 

I've always thought of myself as a glass-half-full kind-of girl. But "One Art" I considered a dour poem. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe my perspective is that of someone older (read: closer to death).

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Poetry To-Do List:

  1. Write two new poems, one about a car for the Improbable Places Poetry Tour reading
  2. Revise two poem
  3. Mail poems to four publications
  4. Get to nightstand reading

Books that have been on my nightstand way too long: 
  • Stag's Leap, Sharon Olds
  • Slow Lightning, Eduardo C. Corral
  • The Way It Is, William Stafford (my current read)
  • Game Change, John Heilemann and Mark Halperin (not poetry, but an excellent nonfiction read)





Comments

Stag's Leap is oh-so good! I think it's her best book in years. (Not to take away from her other books, but this is really beautiful.) I just finished it -- and ignored my huge stack of nightstand reading just to finish it . . .
Jennifer Jean said…
"closer to death"...that's funny! anyways, i think the poem empathizes with someone who's having trouble mastering loss; and, i think the poem is hard to relate to for folks who've grown accustomed to the disposable culture (i.e. too many students...). still, shame-shame for poet-voice use! you now must pay the fine of 50 unearnest couplets by Friday :)
January said…
Jennifer, I just posted a video, which answers a lot of questions for me.

I plan on speaking to you in my poetry voice next time I see you!
January said…
Sarah, I can't wait to jump into Sharon's books. Will push aside all others and read it tonight.
Catherine said…
I can never look at the line "I lost two cities, lovely ones" the same since our earthquakes of 2010 and 2011. It's definitely a dour poem for me, though also beautiful
Anonymous said…
I love "One Art." Have it memorized, in fact. I agree that it's dour, but also there's a deep (one might say "dark") humor there which I enjoy.

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