So I made it.  I did a brand new poem each day for 30 days and I put it out there.  Creatively, this has been an incredibly rewarding undertaking.  I found inspiration where I thought there was none, and I rediscovered a real sense of discipline.  The first week was intimidating, but by day 8 or so, I was in the habit and looking forward to the task each day.  That’s not to say the poems were easy to write; some days were more grueling than others.  And sometimes I had to let poems be published before they were truly ready, just because I was out of time.  My experience was made all the greater by a sense of cause.  I knew that the money was going to a good press; that press, in turn, would bring more poetry to the world.

I believe that if we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that poetry can only thrive if we see ourselves as members of a global collective.  We must have the desire to contribute and to support one another.  The success of one poet should not threaten another writer; rather, we should see all success as evidence of a fruitful shared land.  I read, I buy, I write, I publish, I donate.  Every element of this process, if I am doing my best, is rewarding to all members of the collective.  We must take care of one another.   Our differences should not divide us any more than the presence of both impressionists and post-modernists divides the Art Institute.

I am grateful to Tupelo Press, my fellow poets, those who contributed, and anyone who bothered to read when there is so terribly much to do.

Today’s poem is “Peopled.”