I thought I was being clever creating a unique email address for this blog. But then the pandemic hit, my sister died, and I just gave up on some things.
Like the blog.
Like poetry.
So it was a hassle recovering my blog.
And I think I am ready to return to poetry, not that poetry has missed me.
My brother died recently, and I am grieving in a weird way. ANGRY, sad, angry, sad. So angry.
Writing might help.
I am pursuing helping others with literacy growth in a big way, tutoring ESL, GED, and teaching literacy classes–in my retirement. This lets me know how much I value literacy.
My trusty OLD laptop died, and I replaced it right away. This lets me know how much I value literacy.
As I try to recover old documents, I am trying to find more than 1/3 of a MILLION documents created. This lets me know how much I value literacy. As I read some of my poetry and fiction/ nonfiction, I find pieces I want to edit and revise.
I need to get the twitter bashers out of my mind’s eye, for they almost took away my desire to write poetry. Use the wrong word or use the wrong voice and you can be canceled, vilified.
So here’s to grief (again? still?) and a continuing pandemic I’d like to write away. That won’t happen, but perhaps I can find the joy of creation once again if I stop listening to the voices of the poet and poetry bashers who seem to pounce if a wrong word or tone or voice is used, even unwittingly, even when trying to create art. (Persona poems are one of my favorite types.)
And here’s to writing down passwords and email logins somewhere else!
Happy new year, all. And thanks for reading.
From their site: “We accept submissions to the journal from June 1, to January 15, at noon EST. We greatly prefer online submissions—some submission categories require it. Please see the following pages for full submission guidelines:”
Some of my poems, short stories, and nonfiction articles are included online and in print books and magazines published in the UK, Greece, New Zealand, and the United States.
Some of my poems, short stories, and nonfiction articles are included in books and magazines published in the UK, Greece, New Zealand, and the United States.
Today I met a woman about my age. She told me how many times her children thanked her for moving to America to give them opportunities they would not have had in their small town, which she characterized as small, unsafe, lots of guns, lots of drug dealers. She raised five children here in America, all in college or college graduates. And now it is her turn, she said, to go to school.
Today I met my new student at the public library nearest to where she lived. I had never been there before, so didn’t know what to expect.
There is very little dearer to my heart and mind than literacy in its many forms; expression and communication across the miles and years is nearly miraculous, in my opinion. I cannot say if I love reading or writing more, for I spend so much of my life reading and writing! If I am not reading or writing, I am often thinking IN WORDS… and thinking about reading and writing. I teach reading and writing. I practice reading and writing. My hobbies include READING AND WRITING.
Fantastic job by Literacy DuPage, part of Pro Literacy America. Professional. Cordial. Encouraging.
And off to meet the students. I love teaching. Always an exciting day! I teach developmental English at the community college, and I love it. I believe strongly in the mission of our community colleges, and view them as great institutions.
Laura Lee 