Stumbling Forth

What an overwhelmingly joyful and delightful festival! An estimated 19,000 poets and lovers of poetry gathered over four days in the lush and rustic Waterloo Village, NJ. It was incredible to hear some of my favorite poets read, as well as to discover some voices new to me. From Maxine Kumin to Patricia Smith, from Martin Espada to Ted Kooser, from Billy Collins to JC Todd, from Steve Sanfield to Coleman Barks, I was immersed and the air we all shared became a bit clearer, a bit more electric.

There is something particularly special about poets together. I dare not assume that we all vote the same, write similarly, or read any poem with the same response, but we are brutally and beautifully aware of our essential sameness and of the importance of words, worlds, and our shared world.

Now to take the overstimulated brain and turn it to its own creation: always the challenge. For tonight, I think I will just let it rest.