October Poetry Month: Week 4

Day 1: I've finally gotten back to the poetry work! Today's book was White Pine by Mary Oliver. I love the quiet meditation of her poems, and as I said a couple of weeks ago, hers is the only nature poetry I tend to like. I've now read nine of her poetry collecitons, and I have more to read. I wrote a poem for her called "The Owl Queen."

Day 2: Today, I read two poetry books: Green by Melissa Fite Johnson and A Plumber's Guide to Light by Jesse Bertron, a chapbook. I wrote a poem called "No One Ever," responding to a poem in Green. I don't know if I can respond to A Plumber's, but it was good, worth reading again. I'm still not feeling well, but I managed a good three hours of reading in the evening. I'm now a little more caught up. I've now read eighteen books of poetry this month, so I'm still about five books behind--gracious.  I've written only sixteen poems, so I'm behind by seven. Strep really laid me out last week. This challenge may have to spill into November, but I'll get it done. The good news is that I'm currently nine books ahead (90 books) on my annual reading goal! I only have 10 books to go, so I hope to surpass my goal by a good bit. Several weeks are left! I continue to read two or more poems from Fairy Poems, the Everyman's Library Pocket Poet book Josh gave me. I hope to finish it before or soon after the end of the month. I'm almost halfway through. So, 

Day 3: I read Anson County: Poems by Bathanti today. I decided not to spread poets out; I have another by Bathanti and two more by AMP. I'll try to read them all before the end of the month. I wrote an as-yet-untitled poem after Bathanti. I'll let it sit tonight and try to untangle it and name it in the morning. At the moment, I'm four poetry books behind and six poems behind. I found a few more chapbooks, which will help me catch up. I have one week left. 

Day 4: Today, I read two books. Triumph of Achilles is Louise Gluck's fourth book of poetry. I thought Id read a ton of her books, but I have so many more to read! I hadn't realized she won the NOBEL PRIZE. I guess even her tenure as US Poet Laureate and her Pulitzer Prize pale compared to that! I definitely need to read the rest of her books.  The second book was Spinning the Vast Fantastic, a chapbook by Britton Shurley. That one got three stars. I didn't write a poem today...I may not reach the poetry-writing goal this month. Vertigo kept me down a bit today. I don't know what's causing it.

Day 5: I read two more books of poetry today: Those Days When Love Doesn't Work by Nancy Tripp King (I had to add it to StoryGraph) and AMP's Days Like Prose. I thought I'd read so much more of AMP's poetry, but I'm catching up now. Both books got four stars. I'm amazed I accomplished that much because my vertigo was severe, especially in the morning.

Day 6: I spent this morning in the hospital with extreme vertigo, so I did not read or write any poems. I have eight books left to read and only four days to do it!

Day 7: Vertigo was bad again this morning, the worst it's been. Dang. So reading was difficult at best. I went on Libby and searched "Poetry audio." I borrowed Feel Your Way Through, a book of poetry by Kelsea Ballerini. I've never listened to her music. I wouldn't call the book literary poetry, but the rhythm and rhymes were soothing. I bought another audio book for under $3: Be With, poems by Forrest Gander. It's a Pulitzer-Prize winner! So that helps me with my 40 before 40 goal to read ten Pulitzers during this decade of my life. And finally, as my vertigo stayed away in the evening, I visually read Louise Gluck's Meadowlands. I'm now at 98 total books for the year, 16 books ahead on my goal! If I can finish my poetry month reading goal, I'll get there! Since I've been so sick, I may be listening to a lot of poetry over the next few days. Only five books to go! I also wrote a new poem called "Watching True Crime Shows in the ER."

Stillness & Attention: Week 17.

Day 1: I am very sick today. My senses of smell and taste are still gone. I caught a hint of Cherry Merlot hand soap and thought they were back. But that only lasted for a second. I'm not eating much because I can't taste anything. I muscled through a cup of brown rice for dinner. I'm still testing negative for COVID. 

I haven't been able to read, but I did scribble five pages in my journal today. I wanted to finish my current journal this week, but that's not going to happen.  Josh is doing a little better. I rested in bed (but couldn't sleep) while he took Oliver to the park. I feel like I'm just trying to exist. Amazingly, I'm not depressed--just exhausted and ill. I haven't made progress with anything. But Josh and I did do some yoga. I'm ending the day with Ambien and melatonin. 

Day 2: Sunday. I was going to wash my hands, put on a mask, and go to the library today to return books and pick up holds, but it's closed for the Dogwood Festival. I tested negative for COVID again; surely, it would have shown up by now. I catch momentary sensory details--a hint of lilac body spray, a tiny echo-taste of tomato. But smell and taste are still mostly gone. I've started taking Mucinex, and I'm coughing a little. 

My guess is that I have strep and a sinus infection. I'm still congested and a little out of it, but I feel much better than I did yesterday. Hopefully, the antibiotics are doing their work and getting me over this. I'm going to try to get back to my normal pursuits though they seem overwhelming. I'm starting Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez. I don't remember the recommendation that led me to the book, so I have no idea what to expect. 

I also don't know what to expect of next week. I haven't heard from Oliver's school about whether or not it will be in person. Josh has therapy and a longish stretch of work tomorrow. 

Oliver had a mini meltdown at the park. We had to navigate taking him to a restroom as the rec center was closed. Sundays are complicated because of that. 

Day 3: Oliver did go back to school, and Josh and I spent some time together this morning. We did yoga again. I look forward to it now. I prepared a submission, but the submission form wasn't working, so I'll have to try that again later. I think I'm mostly past being sick. I've been neglecting most of my habits and goals while sick, so I hope to get back to normal this week. I did go to the library and pick up some holds. I accidentally held an audio book instead of a paperback, so I may try to listen to that in the car.

Day 4: I took a walk in my neighborhood this morning while listening to the original Broadway cast recording of Tootsie. I worked with 5-pound weights, which I'm trying to do most days. I'm sore from doing weighted side bends a couple of days ago. Josh and I got to spend some time together this afternoon. We picked up Oliver together and took him to OT, but he became very upset and wanted to go home. He's fine now; I don't know what that was about, but it was his second mini meltdown in three days. That is unsettling.

A storm is rolling in. I'll have to turn on the lamps early. I'm glad to be at home with my family. Tomorrow, Josh and I will get groceries and spend the morning together. Oliver only has 3 1/2 weeks of school left. Summer will be very different for us. I just hope Josh and I find time to spend together. Spring break was a bit of a trial run, but strep complicated it. 

Day 5: Groceries are expensive. But we won't have to buy much next week. I got soy sauce and lots of vegetables to make veggie fried rice this week. I've decided to make a real effort to lose weight. I restarted my MyFitnessPal account. 1,200 calories a day seems absurd, but I'm trying for it. Josh and I did yoga again, and I did weights and the ab series I learned in my college ballet class. 

I finished a journal today and started my beautiful Paperblanks Poetry in Bloom Grande journal. 

I went back to the library to pick up a stray hold: Smoke, poems by Dorianne Laux. I also got a couple of graphic novels and checked out The Only Good Indians again as I didn't get to it last time. The library employee said she had just read it. I told her I had read My Heart Is a Chainsaw, which was crazy and crazy good. 

Day 6: I had a stretch of time alone this morning, and I stayed busy. I finally got back to reading my Daily Bible, and I read many poems from A Fortune for Your Disaster aloud. I did some scribbling in my big journal. I made fried brown rice with riced cauliflower, broccoli, sugar snap peas, sweet peas, corn, baby corn, carrots, and red peppers. It turned out well. I did weights and the ab series. I organized stickers and used them to decorate a top-spiral journal. Then, I went for a 1.25-mile walk near home while listening to the original cast recording of Starlight Express. Josh was able to come home early, so we had a little time together before he picked up Oliver from school. 

This afternoon, I finally sent a submission. I sent formal poems that I wrote way back as an undergrad. I've received two rejections in the last couple of days. Despite illness and subsequent falling off track, I've sent out 93 pieces this month. I still have a lot of poems and a few stories to send. I'll return to sending a submission each day. I was doing so well with all my habits, and now, I wonder how I kept up with everything! But I'll get back on track. 

I need to reestablish good habits while Oliver is still in school because keeping up in summer will be tougher. The hardest times will be the last couple weeks of May, when Josh will have long admin days. Oliver gets out of school on May 20, so it'll just be us at home. Josh may have fairly heavy summer work too; we should find out about that soon. 

But Josh is taking tomorrow off, so we'll have the whole school day alone together! I'm so excited about that. We'll probably mostly stay in bed--he'll nap, and hopefully, I'll read and do writing work. I do kind of wish I could nap during the day when I want to. Sometimes I can rest happily for a while. 

I found a possible market for my book! It's kind of a hard sell as a YA fantasy novella, but I want to give this market a shot. So I'll be polishing the book over the next couple of weeks. 

Day 7: This was a great day. Josh and I spent the whole school day together. We did yoga and watched two episodes of Documentary Now. We don't often watch shows together. Josh took a nap, and I rested and actually slept for about twenty minutes! We talked a lot and didn't really accomplish anything, which was nice. 

In the evening, I went to Barnes with Bruce. We walked around for over two hours, looking at books and talking about what we'd like to read. I checked the library for some books. We talked about books we may read together. I saw so many great new journals! I need a big ol' Barnes gift card. I'd saved calories for a grande caramel macchiato. 

I had the idea that for our birthday celebration and gifts (our birthdays are June 15 and June 17), Bruce and I could go to Barnes again and buy books we want to read together! We've read over forty books together though not lately. I'd love to get back to that. 

When I got home, Josh was waiting for me. 

Nourish/Challenge: Week 45.

This past week, I was responsible and got a flu shot. The next day, I felt horrible. The air touching me hurt. I stayed in bed. I couldn't even read. But avoiding the full-on flu is worth that.

I finally received my pre-ordered copy of Strange Planet by Nathan Pyle. It made me laugh out loud many times. I finished it over two days. Count it!

I've also been reading Restoring Sacred Art by our dear friend Joseph Bathanti. I read the poems aloud, some of which I've heard at his readings, and I can almost hear him. Poems, even the tough ones, almost always nourish me.

So I wonder, when will I write another poem?

Nourish/Challenge: Week 22.

I've had almost back-to-back sinus infections (Yes, I finished my antibiotics). This past week, I got in to see my PA, and he said I was right: a sinus infection, a bad one. So I've tried to rest, and Josh has been so supportive.

Oliver sings. He sings bits of songs in the car. Josh says that when I shower with music, Oliver stays outside the door and sings along. It may be because I'm singing more at home and in the car. I want him to have the solace and nourishment of reading and movies, but for now, singing is pretty good.

For the first time in a terribly long time, I took a bath and read poetry aloud. I've got to get back to that. The habit is a challenge but so nourishing.

Oliver has been home with me. Last week was his first week out of school. We are waiting for a new tech, so we haven't gone to ABA; he only has private OT and speech right now.

I noticed that because he wears uniforms at to school, he had very little casual clothing. So I signed him up for Stitch Fix (sign up and you and I will each get a $25 credit). We get ten items per shipment. I've mostly asked for comfortable or athletic shorts and cute graphic tees. Oliver enjoys pointing out designs on his clothes. SF even sends shoes and pajamas! It eliminates the challenge of hunting for his clothes here and there, and I can easily return what doesn't work.

I'm trying a long, weekly to-do list again, but in my mermaid spiral notebook instead of the journal. Bullet journaling intimidates me; I know almost nothing about it. What kind of to-do list do you use?