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poetry as mentor
By
Britton Gildersleeve
So by now everyone knows it’s National Poetry Month. And I’m also writing poetry daily, as NPM coincides w/ National Poetry WRITING Month (NaPoWriMo). It’s a very happy month for me. Today’s poem is by a poet who has been a mentor for me in both my craft, and in his thoughts. Jack Gilbert was a…
what poets do
By
Britton Gildersleeve
I’m always trying to explain to people ‘why poetry?’ But today I found a poem that says it far better than I can, and by one of my favourite poets ~ Lawrence Ferlinghetti. One of the fathers of the Beat Poetry movement, Ferlinghetti is better known for founding City Lights publishing company, which has published such…
day 15 of National Poetry Month
By
Britton Gildersleeve
Yes, it’s tax day. But it’s also the mid-point of National Poetry Month! Whoohoo! Today, I thought I’d share with you some gems — haiku. It’s a form considered (too often) for children much of the time, as it’s easy to do. But it’s not easy to do well. Here is one of my favourite haiku…
keeping bees…
By
Britton Gildersleeve
One of my grandson’s earlier words was Bee! My phone wallpaper is a bee, and there are bees on my jewellery, on cups, on various elements of my life. I love bees. This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me, or reads this blog. Bees are a kind of totem for me, I…
the intersection of then and now
By
Britton Gildersleeve
I’ve had a lot of different jobs in my life, as have many people. But I’ve also had several ‘careers’: jobs where you invest time & education to advance, to become better at what you do. Where the work becomes one defining element of who you are. One of the more important ones — it…
catching up on poetry
By
Britton Gildersleeve
Each day of this month I’m writing poetry. (You ought to try it — really. It’s a LOT more fun when you aren’t being graded!) I’m also reading poetry daily — my own, that of others. And whenever April comes, I wonder how these habits got away from me. Because they feed me. I feel…
birthdays, FaceBook, and gifts of love
By
Britton Gildersleeve
Today was my birthday. And it’s been one of my nicest yet. My family rolls their eyes when I say this, reminding me I always love my birthday. Which is true. But today was a bit different, even so. And better for it. My gifts ranged from phone calls to music to a cartoon portrait…
slow, steady, and all that jazz…
By
Britton Gildersleeve
Hector (our ‘new’ cat) came downstairs! And it’s only taken a scant 6 months! Seriously — I was wondering if we would always have an ‘upstairs’ cat. He has shown very little interest in exploring downstairs. At least, not while we’re awake. Since he’s more than 1/2 as large as either of our French bulldogs, it’s…
“and if I love myself enough, loving you won’t be so rough”
By
Britton Gildersleeve
The quote comes from an old ’70s song; I forget the artist (sorry!). I always liked the sentiment — it’s so very hard to love anyone else if you can’t stand your own self. And trusting yourself? Even harder. How many of us second-guess our choices, our decisions, our plans? Wondering if we’re screwing up…
National Poetry Month, and so what?
By
Britton Gildersleeve
It’s no secret that I adore National Poetry Month. For one entire month, I’m not a nerd: I’m in tune! I can post poetry to my FB. I can talk poetry to strangers. I can confess I love it! This is no small thing, as you probably guessed. 😉 So… Why is poetry a big deal to…
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