Thursday, November 25, 2010

My Thanksgiving Shadow


I confess:  for many years I have not found it easy, as a comfortably affluent European American, to feel the deep and thorough gratitude I would like to feel at Thanksgiving.  I've tried, but not very far down I keep hitting some kind of obstacle.  This year, I was provided with two powerful and apparently contradictory texts that may point a way out of the impasse.  The first is a wonderful and profoundly true editation that was handed out at a Thanksgiving yoga class I took this morning. It is worth reading slowly, with contemplation:

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Yes, Lisa, There is Poetry. . .Or, What Makes a Poem a Poem?

I received this email a few weeks ago.  I reproduce and answer it here with Lisa's permission, because it is representative of a widespread confusion:
Dear Annie Finch:
I discovered your February 2009 Harriet blog entry “Poetry in Notion: What Does That Word Mean Anyway?” while searching for a definition of poetry versus prose. I’ve hit up against that same question in my own “poetry” and am very much hoping you might give me your input. Did you ever arrive at a conclusion regarding where poetry begins and prose ends that you yourself found satisfying?
Some background: I think of myself a poet, yet twice in the past few weeks I’ve been told that what I write is prose with line breaks 









Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Medieval Wind Power

My husband Glen, an environmental activist who often sends me wonderful links, forwarded this story on wind power in a medieval Italian town.  I find this, and so many massive changes in energy technology that are currently underway, moving metaphorically, spiritually, and practically--embodied transformation, magick at work to bring us closer to living in harmonious respect and stewardship of the natural world.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Wild Weeds Poetry Contest Results

The results of the Wild Weeds Poetry Contest have been posted on the Healing Wise Website.  The winner will receive a set of Susun Weed's Wise Woman Herbal Series, and those with honorable mentions will receive a copy of Healing Wise.  Weedy congatulations to all!