Author: inkinherveins

• I want to do it all

  

  Festivals. Farmers Markets. Makers Markets. Performances. Learning to paint. Shows. Art exhibits. Hiking. Art classes and collage workshops. Creativity coffee chats. Collaboration projects. Camping. Reading. Learning to draw. Writing poetry. Becoming the bass player in a band. Washing my dishes. Star gazing. Doing my laundry. Long phone calls. Remembering to grocery shop. Hanging out with…

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• They carry galaxies on their backs

  

  I went to a punk show in Pagosa Springs a couple days ago. Some of my friends were playing, and off we went on an adventure. On the drive, one of them said, “Let’s go to Treasure Falls after the show!” And so, after the show, in intermittent moonlight from a nearly full moon and…

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• Taking a leap

  I’m doing a thing that scares me. I’m making a pretty hefty investment in a memoir writing group, in hopes that I will finish a draft of my book this year. I recently had to replace my car, and, while I’ve been doing pretty well with freelance work lately, self-employment is all ebbs and flows.…

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• Magic in the making

  I do this thing sometimes called “Poems-to-Go.” It’s not my idea. I got it from the creative writing department at my graduate program. The poets would set up a table with typewriters and take “orders” for poems. You could write a theme, words you wanted, a topic, or do poet’s choice. I purchased a poem,…

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• Out of sight, out of mind

  

  I disappear as soon as I’m out of viewit must be true, that you don’t think,when I’m not around, of me.You don’t remember until I pull you back;there are so many other things—so much to be interested in—so much that isn’t me. Out of sight out of mindbut I think of you, all the time.I…

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• I didn’t think my life would turn out like this…

  and I’m so glad I was wrong. Sometimes, Facebook memories bring smiles and laughter and nostalgia. Sometimes, they are a series of stings and grief and unwanted reminders. Usually, they’re somewhere in-between, living in the nuance, as most things do. Always, they are a revelation. On June 17th, 2022, I didn’t know what my life…

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• it’s both/and

  

  I’ve come up on and passed my first anniversary of leaving my career in academia. On May 16th, 2023, I submitted grades for the final time. I started teaching college courses in the fall semester of 2008, when I began my Master’s program. I had one semester where I was tutoring and did not have…

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• National Poetry Writing Month, 25-28

  25/30: Arguments: Physical Muscle to muscle—it never occurred to meTo feel small when my blood was up,and it was up, and, like a cat,I would’ve taken on a bear withoutthinking ahead to consequencesor wondering about my victory. Muscle to muscle, squaring offto a man more than twice my sizeas he threatened, tried to intimidate. In…

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• Brain full of words, heart full of hope

  

  I went to the Mountain Words Festival in Crested Butte for 2024, and I’m so filled with words, with ideas, with the desire for collaboration, with the desire to create. The festival is organized by Townie Books, and sponsored by businesses and organizations in Crested Butte. You can learn more about the festival at the…

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• National Poetry Writing Month, 21-24

  21/30: Memorization Remembering was an obsession.How to spell, the words crafted from letters,stored up in my brain,The overpowering urge to justbecome the dictionary as I poredover the pages… From words I memorized sentences, too,and poetry could be heardtripping from my lips all day longUntil my parents begged me toquoth the raven, nevermore…Song lyrics, scripture verses,formulas…

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