Poem of the Week at First Verse: January - March

In January, when I started my blog First Verse with its banner promising a new poem each week, I thought that might take up an hour of each weekday morning. So it has, and more. Each poem raises its own problems that my mind works on even at night. Just this week, ideas for rhymes got me out of bed before 3AM a couple of days, and I'm writing and re-writing while I ride my bike or swim.

[Susan Rouse's discipline of painting a picture each week inspired me to start the blog, so I include one with each poem. This image is the latest posting.]

The blogging is part of the creation. Each poem has seemed settled before I've posted it; then, I've cringed at unclear connections, inconsistent rhythm, and missed opportunities for evocative words and detais. So I'm still tinkering with many of them.

Here's what I've written this year:

• Atlanta, Sunrise Saturday
• Swimming Lapse
• Ukraine, Second Week
• Microclimate
• Self Checkout
• Interview with Box Turtle
• The Kingdom of Heaven is like
• Fall Premiere
• Why Don't You Just Speak English?
• Mountaintop Experience

I hope readers of this blog, including you robots in Russia and Indonesia, will check out First Verse.