Confession Tuesday

If it's Tuesday, it's time for your confessions. Share and share alike. You know you want to.


I've been living in the space of gratitude. I really do think it's carryover from this summer, but this weekend it's been an especially powerful force. Spent much of the weekend visiting with friends from all corners of my life. We spent time over food, over books, over poems.

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Today I am grateful for my poet friends. You know who you are.

They are my tribe. They give me space to risk things and pull me back when I’ve gone too far. Their feedback is not only helpful but mindful. It’s more than reading poem drafts and encouraging me to submit. We constantly talk about what poetry can do for us and our community. We encourage each other to stay open to possibilities. And while we’re not completely happy with our writing lives, I like the energy they put into the world. Does that make sense?  

I hope you, dear reader, have people in your (writing) lives who want the best for you. It's more than your inner circle, because sometimes writers want to see other writers fail. Stay away from those downdrafts. You want those writers who "poet-up," put pen to paper and say: "I'm ready for what I don't know. Bring it!"  

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Yes, I said "poet-up." Deal!

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I've also changed how I feel about procrastination. Procrastination rules!

No more do I see it as negative. I see it as the way to organize my day, a way of prioritizing by urgency. What needs my attention most. If my writing calls me to the page, so be it. If my children need me, then the writing waits.

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“Your crown has been bought and paid for. All you have to do is put it on your head”

                                                                                                            -- James Baldwin