Well, I did it! I drafted 30 poems in 30 days, and I met my fundraising goal of $300+ to support free English classes at the Center for New Americans! I could not have done it without my wonderful donors, the encouragement and daily prompt emails from Nerissa Nields, and the community of other writers I felt around me as I held space each day, usually over breakfast or a sometimes with a nightcap, to collaborate with my unconscious and see what surprising word combinations we could playfully craft.
Here’s my poem from Day 23, based on A Center by Ha Jin.
As Daylight Wanes
Rise in the quiet, dark morning.
Do only what’s necessary.
If someone calls you obsessive or a flake,
Let them go on misunderstanding.
If another praises your achievements,
Don’t rest on that—but hold it close.
Only your own heart is a lasting friend.
Stay awake in the long, dark evening.
Don’t go to bed without a song.
If you can’t imagine the sap
Coursing through the nearby maple,
Trust that as years go on and on and on,
When you become older than your mother
Ever was, the wisdom of heartwood
Will come to you in Dreams.
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| Image made by Smith College student Diana M. for this fundraiser. |
