Fun times on the radio, and a few reflections on poetry...

I spent a little over an hour chatting with Nate Alberts on the radio, talking about poetry and poems. Basically, why we desperately need poems, especially in difficult times. Whether those situations are personal or national/ global, words of inspiration, comfort, or companionship are critical to emotional and spiritual survival. We read poems at the important occasions of our lives: weddings, funerals, graduations, and the like. Why does our society then disparage poets? Poems are survival guides. Shelley said that poets are the "unacknowledged legislators of the world," mainly because they both capture the moments and they question them as well, no matter if the moments are individual or on a broader scale. 

I shared a few of my touchstone poems, the ones I turn to when I need to feel a little more centered. One is Keats' "When I Have Fears," another is Mary Oliver's "Wild Geese," and the last I shared is Wendell Berry's "The Peace of Wild Things." All three remind me that I need to take a breath, to accept what is, and who I am, regardless of the things around me. They don't tell me that things are okay, but they do remind me that I will be a lot more okay if I take a minute to just "be." 

I got to share a few poems from my new book, too; that was fun. I hope listeners (assuming there were listeners) enjoyed our free-wheeling chat, and they liked the poems and my perspective on why we need poems. We need community. Good words help. Creating and finding a safe space, emotionally and spiritually, is essential to being human. It's essential to surviving these trying times. 

I hope people like my new book. I hope they buy it, too, so I don't have to buy three dozen copies to make the magic happen. But if I have to, I will-- I want the book to breathe real air. 

And for those of you who have been so supportive, who have cheered for me from near and far, I thank you. My words are not just for me; they are for all of you, too. It's all I have to offer, really. 

Have a good Sunday. Pray that the world stops burning soon. 

C

O...and happy Women's Day. Hooray for the distaff side!



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