poetry

     I write poetry to remember, to capture in words and the arrangement of words what seems true or important about what has happened or is happening in my life. I also write poetry to play with ideas, to pray, to discover deep parts of myself, to grieve, to capture dreams . . . and sometimes because something, it might just be me, something, takes over part of my brain with a few odd words, an idea, a memory, an image, or a part of a story and demands I stop everything and “write a poem” – that I get it down, see it, capture it magically with some words and the reward when I’m done . . . is a poem that helps me remember and re‑experience that moment, that idea, that story . . . and, if it can do that, it might also be a poem worth sharing.

     For me, an important part of staying active as a poet has been meeting regularly with other poets to read my poetry and hear their poetry. Since 2015, I've been a member of Rockport Public Library Poets‘ Corner, which meets twice a month from 4 - 5:30 p.m. on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month. I'm also a member of a Poets‘ Corner at Thomaston Public Library Poets’ Corner started at the end of 2022, which meets on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month from 5 - 6:30 p.m. in the library’s 2nd floor conference room (follow the signs for Poets' Corner).

Both groups host special Poetry Month events during April in lieu of regular meetings, and also sponsor the Midcoast Poetry Calendar to help connect Midcoast Maine poets, poetry groups and poetry organizations, and to help poets plan and promote public poetry events.   read less