In the Boulder foothills, March came in like a lamb—not like a lion. The first day of March was a beautiful, sunny day with blue skies, and the temperature reached 61 degrees Fahrenheit. Later that week, the temperature topped out at 35 degrees with snow. Wherever you live, these drastic March weather variations are likely to be commonplace.
Ralph Waldo Emerson famously said, “Our life is March weather, savage and serene in one hour.” His quote is reflected not only in fluctuating meteorological conditions and in our personal lives, but also in current local and national events. This month my usually reliable writing time was shortened with the need to spend three days buying and setting up a new computer, then shortly thereafter having it compromised by hackers, and having to spend more than a week clearing up the resulting mess with my bank and various other financial groups.
Likewise, since January 20, national events have felt like March weather—difficulties, surprises, and shocks. The whole country is upset. There has been an explosion of local marches in every state of the union, as well as protest marches against fascism in other countries. Citizens in the USA are protesting current national policies that are destructive to individuals, businesses, and freedoms which we all value.
Our area had its own protest this week because staff positions were slashed at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA is the national group that builds, as their website states: “… a Weather-Ready Nation by providing better information for better decisions to save lives and livelihoods.” The weather information our cell phones display comes from NOAA. Given climate change and the increase in flooding, fires, and other dramatic weather events worldwide, firing experts endangers the lives of Americans and individuals elsewhere. Laying off so many workers undermines the economy. People need salaries to pay their rent, buy food, and pay taxes.
As I post this blog, we are only one week into the month; the Ides of March will soon be upon us. Most folks know the expression “Beware the Ides of March” but do they know to what it refers? Shakespeare wrote the line, a warning spoken by a soothsayer, into his play Julius Caesar. Caesar ignored the fortune-teller’s portent and was subsequently assassinated on the fifteenth of March—the middle of the month. This year, March 15 falls on a Saturday. I am always extra careful on the Ides of March, while at the same time being happy that spring is creeping closer.
Given the current political situation, I encourage writers to make their viewpoints known and support democracy: Writers Unite; Take Up the Fight!
My Writing Goals for 2025
- Continue to develop my poetry and connections with other poets:
- Bardic Trails: The Talking Gourds/Bardic Trails is a monthly Zoom presentation of poets, followed by an open mike, that comes out Telluride, Colorado. This month, Teow Lim Goh presented her poetry which focused on Chinese workers in Wyoming during a period when they were harassed, murdered, and had their settlement destroyed by local white men. Goh illuminated a shocking period of Western US history that was unknown to me.
- The Colorado Poetry Center: I didn’t make it to a CPC reading this month but did attend an exceptional reading by the Irish Poet, Pádraig Ó Tuama, at the Denver Public Library. I purchased and enjoyed reading his book, Kitchen Poems.
- The Boulder Writers Alliance Poetry Circle featured Brenda Wildrick, a Colorado poet who has published several poetry books including On the Train for Somewhere Else and two coloring books, The Color of Hope and Seasons of Resplendent Color which feature a haiku poem with each image. Brenda’s poetry ranges from the poignant to the political.
- My poetry project goals: Despite the interruptions, I’ve managed to write a new poem each week so far this year.
- Finish my first novel and query agents (IW): I had no new pages in hand to share with my critique group but I provided feedback on the pages presented to me.
- Finish my second novel (G): I had no time to work on this manuscript this month.
- Continue to work on my third novel, (PW): I discussed drilling accidents with a knowledgeable person.
Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:
- Boulder Writers Alliance: I attended the BWA’s Writers Who Read discussion of James by Percival Everett, led by Gary Alan McBride. Everett’s use of diction to demonstrate differences in position and power was impressive. I also joined our February BWA Happy Hour for an engaging and informative discussion with other writers. I appreciated Brenda Wildrick’s riveting poetry reading for our BWA Poetry Circle.
2. Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers: I read the newsletter and various emails. The RMFW Gold Conference takes place this year in September: https://rmfw.org/conference/
3. Women Writing the West: I read the newsletter and attended our critique group. The WWW Virtual Conference this year takes place in October: https://www.womenwritingthewest.org/conference/
4. Document my writing progress through my blog and post it on the seventh day of each month, one blog per month in 2025:
Today is March 7, 2025. I am posting my third blog for this year. After a frigid February, it is nice to have lighter skies, longer days, and intermittent warmer temperatures. I have enjoyed the talented poets and writers that I have met with this month.
Some Lines from a Favorite Poem
My academic degrees (BA, MA, PhD) are all in French Literature. Guillaume Apollinaire (1880–1918) has always been one of my favorite French poets. Here are the opening lines of one of his poems in French, followed by my personal translation of these lines of his poem into English:
Sous le Pont Mirabeau
Sous le pont Mirabeau coule la Seine
Et nos amours
Faut-il qu’il m’en souvienne
La joie venait toujours après la peine
Vienne la nuit sonne l’heure
Les jours s’en vont je demeure
Under the Pont Mirabeau
Under the Pont Mirabeau flows the Seine
And our loves
Must I remember
That joy has always appeared after pain
Let the night come and the hour ring
Days drift away yet I remain.
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