Tag: poems

2026, Snow, Much Writing

On the 3rd day of the new year, we wake to sun glimmering snow and the neighbors next door are one part shoveling out the cul-de-sac, one part giving their young daughter time and space to run after days of cold snap and heavy snow. This is kindness in action, not to mention wise parenting. Soon after this post, I’ll venture out and clean my driveway as well in preparation for the scuttle of Monday’s anticipated storm dropping another 6-12″ on this outer coast.

Though my blog has been sorely neglected for several months, my writing has been prolific this year. There are copies of journals and anthologies on my desk from a year’s worth of publishing. Quick glance at my Excel doc shows I sent out work to 57 different submission calls and have placed work with 30 (so far) and received 15 rejections (so far). 47 poems were published in 2025.

One year ago today, I learned that Sheila-Na-Gig Editions had accepted my manuscript, The Ordering of Stars, for publication in 2025. This was wildly exciting news. Not only do I love publishing with Sheila-Na-Gig and its family poets, but the manuscript emerged over the course of two different residencies: Storyknife (2021) and Jenni House (2024). It will warrant its own posting once the copies land, but editing on the final proof was submitted New Year’s Eve and my launch via Zoom is scheduled for January 29th. Please attend!

Also, one year ago, I was wrapping up the final writing of some Stevie Nicks-inspired poetry for an anthology. The anthology is titled White Winged Doves: A Stevie Nicks Poetry Anthology. I was thrilled to have two poems accepted for this collection, a haibun titled “In 1979, Stevie and Fleetwood Mac Played Madison Square Garden” and a free verse poem titled, “To Knead Sourdough.” The collection will publish in June 2026 and I’m so eager to light some candles, turn Fleetwood Mac, and read the poetry gathered for this. In fact, if keen, you can preorder copies through Madville Publishing.

Another highlight of the writing year landed in late November. My haibun, “Revived by Fang & Claw” was nominated for a Pushcart by Cirque: A Literary Journal for Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Such an honor that leaves me both grateful and quite humbled. I wrote the poem along the North Klondike Highway headed to Dawson for the purpose of nostalgia and a tattoo of Zhùr, the 57,000-year-old wolf pup on the arm of my writing hand. It has landed on pp 34-35 of The Ordering of Stars and as I’m quick to say to my sister-friend, April, “It does not rhyme.”

Back to the subject of kindness and in writing this, the family next door shoveled out the entire cul-de-sac including my driveway! When they asked if they could do this for me, I agreed, thanking them, and on the condition that their daughter use the hill anytime she’d like for sledding. They gave it a spin! Wishing you all a wonderful new year and may we find such kindness in each and every day.

October and All Its Finery

Gosh, peeps, we’re knee-deep into October and on the occasion the skies clear, it shines around here, as bright as Rihanna’s song, “Diamonds.” Case in point, the sun’s slow descent to the horizon this very evening. See photos below, both taken from my writing desk.

I spent the morning submitting poetry to various publications and their calls for this or that. I also wrote up an application for a $500 writing grant possibility. I’m not sure what my chances are of being awarded such a gift, but I certainly have some ideas on how to use it this winter. First, I’d like to order a Little Free Library for my front yard to assemble and install, only, I’d name mine the Little Free Poetry Library. I’d go wild in its kit design and colors, maybe even install a tiny disco ball from the interior ceiling. First and foremost, I’d love to stock it well with the work and words of northern poets before moving onto the equally beautiful work and words of poets from Outside. Such a Little Free Poetry Library would certainly require its own Instagram page, just to keep everyone abreast of stock. My neighborhood can be tricky to find without a proper street sign.

The poet George Franklin served as guest editor for the Volume 9.1 Fall Edition of Sheila-Na-Gig. His curating is exemplary and I’ve enjoyed tiptoeing my way through the various submissions this season, akin to the speed of fall coming on. If you get a chance to read, please do so. Beautiful writing all around. And I’m both humbled and grateful to have a couple of poems included: “Cosmic Harvesting” and “This Is Not a Love Poem.” Thank you to George for including these summertime writings. I’m humbled and grateful when my work lands among the poets and pages of Sheila-Na-Gig. In fact, I’m happy to be part of this publishing family of poets with my own collection, Curating the House of Nostalgia (2020).

An additional note of interest as it relates to Sheila-Na-Gig, I offer a huge shout-out to Sheila-Na-Gig publisher Hayley Mitchell Haugen’s generosity. Books published by this press in 2022 and 2023 will be on display in New York City at the Poets House 28th annual Poetry Showcase. Curating the House of Nostalgia will be among them. A copy of each book will be on display facing frontwards for attendees to browse. Thank you, Hayley, for your above and beyond support of SNG poets! I’ve never been to New York City, but I’d love to be there in this moment to visit Poets House and browse all the offerings there.

The sun bright in my eyes, I set writing aside when the afternoon beckoned me out to the yard. There I cut back my raspberry patch, pruned the Japanese Maple, and cleared the porch of summer plants and pots. I hauled four leaf bags of clippings out to the overflow and feel pretty good about this first step in putting the yard to bed for winter. And of course, the drive yielded all kinds of sights: Humpback whales, migrating swans, snow creeping closer on the mountains.

October delights. Enjoy every moment.

Sun taking a slow dip this afternoon.

The later view from the writing desk here at home.