Strike Sparks

So much of my life is still in storage right now, but there are few stacks of things leftover from college that made the cut from going in the garage for who knows how long. I love finding books full of corner folded pages, underlined phrases and words, and notes of what I was thinking at the time. It reminds me of being in love with words and books, and having the time to indulge in my own writing.

I'm rereading Strike Sparks by Sharon Olds, a collection of her poetry from 1980 to 2002. From this book I learned that it's ok to write about death and love, not about the emotions of it all, but about the details of the moments, you can tell a story through lines. As a strictly poetry writer, I find it kind of funny that I have little patience for reading books of poetry. But I can read these poems over and over again and get excited every time.




I am doing something I learned early to do, I am
paying attention to small beauties,
whatever I have-as if it were our duty
to find things to love, to bind ourselves to this world.

Sharon Olds
from the poem "Little Things"

And to follow through with the original intent of creating a new online space, I'm trying to find the courage to post some newer pieces. Soon, I hope!