Another batch of poems submitted! I feel a sense of relief that I have some poems out in the world, being read and considered for publication.

I started teaching a workshop here in Bemidji last week. We are reading Ted Kooser's Poetry Home Repair Manual and using a ton of writing prompts to draft new work. One member of the class will be performing in a poetry slam to be held in a couple of weeks. I am excited to see him perform some of his more rhythmic poems.

April is National Poetry Month.

Peace & Love,
Erin

My first batch of poems for 2017 has been submitted! When I looked back at 2016, it indicated I only submitted once. Submissions are a numbers game, so I know that I need to just keep sending them out. I am sending out a lot of disability/sexuality poems right now and hope I can find a worthy home for those deeply intimate poems.
Spring weather is on its way to Bemidji! It is supposed to be in the high forties, so I suspect we will be spending some time outside as a family. The little kitty, Izola, will get her open windows soon.

Peace & Love,
Erin

I often feel that I am not a real poet. I do not give myself permission to spend time working on my craft, which causes anxiety and depression. I am a perfectionist, which means I am fearful of vulnerability and use that fear as an excuse to not put myself out there as a poet.

This time of my life is over.

There will be poetry every day in some form. The only specific commitment I am making at this time is to submit work on Mondays. Publishing is something I have thought and worried about for a long time, so the time has come to just do it. Yes, I am afraid.I will submit anyway. This is the only way to move through the fear and conquer it. I am terrified of coming to the end of my life and realizing I didn't accomplish anything. I don't need to be the best and brightest poet out there. What I want is to know that I tried and that my nieces and nephews saw me work for what I wanted.

My goal is to create a life in poetry, but I need to develop it slowly if I am to succeed. For now I will post on Mondays after submitting my work and build from there. I hope to acquire some readers for this blog, so stay tuned!

Peace & Love,
Erin