This month, I read a wonderful book by Helen Vendler (1933-2024), Inhabit the Form, which I recommend to anyone who is drawn to writing poetry. Dr. Vendler held the title A. Kingsley Porter University Professor at Harvard University. She was interested in the two indispensable constituents of lyric poems: originality and the embodiment of feelings. In the book, she discusses poets from Yeats to Ocean Vuong.
At my local level, I continue to be involved in multiple poetry groups. I continue to explore books on writing poetry. I am currently exploring how to write different forms of poems. And I continue to read at open mics when I have the opportunity.
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, which is broadcast from Telluride, Colorado. On November 4, Bardic Trails featured Beth Franklin, who read from her work. The following open mic session was excellent.
Colorado Poetry Center: Each month, Beth Franklin, the director of the Colorado Poetry Center, hosts poetry readings at the Boulder Book Store. In October, Juan Morales read from his newest book, Dream of the Bird Tattoo. Michelle Battiste, whose The Elsewhere Oracle was just published, handed out oracle cards and read oracles for the audience. Both readings were impressive.
Columbine Poets: The Columbine Poets hold four regular meetings each month, two in-person sessions where a poet reads or someone presents, and two online meetings that are critique sessions. The critique group was helpful with a poem I submitted. I attended the meeting in Lafayette to do a send-off for Diane Rex, who is moving to Nice. Julie Cummings was there. On October 18, I attended a tanka workshop led by Ricardo J. Bogaert-Alvarez. I enjoyed my first attempt at writing in the tanka form and wrote several. On October 25, I attended the Columbine Poets workshop led by Julie Cummings. And, on November 1, I attended the Zoom critique group. Members provide excellent suggestions for improving our work.
Cannon Mine Poets: Abby Seber is now hosting the Cannon Mine Poets group in Lafayette. This month, Julie Cummings, who is a past President of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies and past President of Columbine Poets of Colorado, read from her work. Her book of poetry, Ride of My Life, is available on her website: https://juliecummingspoetry.com/store and on Amazon.
2. Continue to make progress on my draft novels: No progress.
Finish my first novel and query agents (IW): No progress.
Finish my second novel (G): No progress.
Continue to work on my third novel (PW): No progress.
3. Continue to develop a network of kindred spirits in the world of writing and publishing:
Boulder Writers Alliance: I hosted the BWA Poetry Circle in October. Our speaker was Abby Seber, who presented on the recently deceased poet, Andrea Gibson. Participants also each wrote a new poem and read their new poems aloud.
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers: I read the newsletter.
Women Writing the West: I enjoyed the online conference in October and read the winning short story.
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 November 7, 2025. I am posting my eleventh blog for this year. As I was searching for a poem to include this month, I realized that many writers view November from a bleak perspective. Personally, November has always been one of my favorite months. I find the fall weather invigorating and the reds, oranges, and yellows of fall stunning against our blue Colorado skies. Plus, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. May we all have something to be thankful for this year!
A Poem for November
My November Guest
Robert Frost, 1874 –1963
My sorrow, when she’s here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture lane.
Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She’s glad the birds are gone away,
She’s glad her simple worsted grey
Is silver now with clinging mist.
The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.
Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.
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