My two daughters - let's call them OD and YD - resemble me in many predictable ways. Seven-year-old OD has hair that relentlessly tangles in the same spot as mine, loves writing and rhyme, and is a tomboy in the best sense of the word. Three-year-old YD has my oversized cheeks, laid-back manner, and love … Continue reading Asking for what you want: submissions and gender
Category: DC poetry
My Favorite Irish Poets
I won't be one of the many imbibing on St. Patrick's Day this Sunday. But as a fan of Irish poetry - at least that written in English - I wanted to share a few of my favorite moments. Contemporary Irish poet Eavan Boland beautifully extracts a place from its political past in "How … Continue reading My Favorite Irish Poets
A season of waiting
This winter, most of my quests for excitement have collided with a paralyzed will, or body. Yesterday, my mom offered to babysit the girls so Jeff and I could enjoy a kid-free outing. Jeff now has the cold I had a week ago (and older daughter ('OD') had a week before that), so we decided … Continue reading A season of waiting
My top five anti-love poems
After last week's Valentine's Day love poem offerings (which you can read here), I thought a look at the flip-side was in order. So let's get a little Alanis Morissette for a moment, and look at how some of the masters have handled the uglier moments. Because we've all been there. 🙂 1) Afraid to make … Continue reading My top five anti-love poems
My top five love poems
I've selected my top five love poems - one romantic, one intellectual, one humorous, one passionate, and one familial - in the hope that these will fill your Valentine's Day needs. Here they are: 1) Romantic - "somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond" by E.E. Cummings I first heard this poem in the 1980's Woody … Continue reading My top five love poems
A Poetry of Conviction
Today, we celebrate both the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and the public swearing in of President Obama for his second term on the National Mall. Perhaps to emphasize how our world has changed since Dr. King's passionate movement for equality, President Obama has selected a Latino, gay poet, Richard Blanco, to read … Continue reading A Poetry of Conviction
Renew, Reuse, Recycle…
We live in a fairly eco-conscious area, so when my older daughter (OD) started kindergarten, she began talking about the importance of "renew, reuse, recycle." We have a great recycling program in our city, so very little goes to waste; our recycling container is usually twice as full as our trash container. I realize now … Continue reading Renew, Reuse, Recycle…
Books and Chocolate
Sometime in December, I realized that in my immediate family, the gifts most appreciated are books, chocolate (either the solid or liquid variety), and gift cards (to buy more books and chocolate). I love the January routine of settling down with new books, under a blanket with an oversized red mug of hot chocolate (topped … Continue reading Books and Chocolate
“Between Gods” news
Happy New Year! My book, Between Gods, is one of seven featured first books in the latest issue of Beltway Poetry Quarterly, here. It's worth a read!
Rejoicing
We have another reason to celebrate this season: although the Mayan calendar suggested that the world would end on Friday - the day of winter solstice - we continue as we were. I love how Timothy Steele brings the holidays and astronomy together in his contemporary holiday poem, "Toward the Winter Solstice." Here's an excerpt … Continue reading Rejoicing
Between Gods 