In an effort to revive my writing and this blog, I thought Lent (YOU GUYS KNOW HOW I LOVE LENT) would be a good time to try and commit to one post per weekday, hopefully developing a habit and continuing the practice.

Also, I am giving up sugar. No more getting into the post-whatever-holiday candy after lunch when I'm tired and need a jolt! As in: exactly how I am feeling right now.

For this first post I thought I'd share a poem - below - that I wrote a few weeks ago when we got a couple feet of snow up here in CT, and J just happened to be away. Mostly, it's about my mom (hi, Mom!)

This is the first poem I've written since I was a little kid, I think (except for haikus, which I will write at any juncture if given the opportunity, I just adore those little haikus!)

I got excited about poetry for the first time in a long time at the Bread Loaf Writer's Conference this summer, where I was lucky enough to hear daily poetry readings, pick up a few books of gorgeous poetry and - best yet - make friends with actual, living poets, whose talent and dedication amazed me, just like I was amazed by all the writers I met there.

Here's where I'd like to note that I am a not a good poet. But it was fun to try and distill my thoughts into a few phrases anyway. Poet friends, I don't know how you do it! But I'm so glad you do.

Snow day #2/husband out of town

The attempt to clear the driveway
lasted three minutes before returning to the house-crazed children
posting the SOS on the neighborhood message board
(half gossip/half helpful).

One hour later I watched the teenager clumsily shoveling
ice-hardened snow from behind the minivan.
My son and two daughters made a mess with food coloring in the dining room
Chaos I allowed for the peace it delivered.

Including this moment.
Cradling a cup of hot coffee
and thinking of my own mother's
businesslike command of her domain.
Her fretlessness.
Thinking how happy I am
that I'm like her.