Dear Reader, How are you doing? It's mid-August; amazing! I'm spending a few days in Vermont with Eric and the kids before the kids head off to their fall adventures (college and a new job); I find myself already looking back with nostalgia to earlier in the summer, looking ahead to the fall, and, at the same time, trying to be fully present, right here, right now. Today, I thought I'd share one of my poems, "August" (recently published in The Sun). The poem is about looking back and looking forward, about loss and celebration, about how our individual experiences and our collective, global, ecological experiences all overlap. And it's about the wonder of being alive at all—in a body here on this earth that is our only home— I hope you enjoy the poem (below). I also have a writing prompt for you below the poem; the multiplicity of the world can feed our writing. I can't help adding a note about our political situation in the US— this, too, reminds me of how many things can be happening at once and how quickly things can change. May we be here right now, just as it is, and may we be open and present for all that was and that might be. :) As always, let me know how you're doing. With love, August For six years, we took no precaution which was, this morning, Child we will never have. End In the course I’m taking, we are taught I want blood and bone, I want relationship, As now, our children almost-grown, So close to so many changes, the ice and see: these tiny red tomatoes at the end of the plants, (Published—with slight edits—in the August 2024 issue of The Sun— click here to hear me read the poem aloud!) Writing Prompt:Take a moment that might not normally seem "poetic" and put it into a poem (or a piece of prose), connecting it to something very different. In your piece, include something very small and something very large. Upcoming EventsAn in-depth immersion into writing through sorrow and joy; come be upheld by the transformative power of the creative imagination. We'll be inspired by poetry, but you can write in any genre. Write, meditate, and do gentle yoga in the beautiful setting of the Omega campus, and be surrounded by a small, intimate, supportive community. In-Person, Sept. 29th to Oct. 4th, 2024 Learn more and register here. The Poetry of Attention: Online Fall Course with Nadia Colburn Online asynchronous 10-week class with ongoing access and live coaching and practice sessions
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Dear Reader, It's a beautiful, warm day here in New England. It almost feels like summer again, but the leaves are starting to change, and the days are getting shorter. As we enter this new season, which calls for more subtle forms of attention, poetry can be a companion. I hope you'll join me next week live online for a completely Free Masterclass: The Poetry of Attention. I'm offering the class three times next week; sign up for the time that works best for you. The Poetry of Attention:...
Dear Reader, I hope this finds you well! Many of my students and clients ask me: how do I wake up my writing? My answer: Pay attention. Many then follow up: But how do I pay attention? How do I cultivate my ability to pay attention? My answer: One of the best ways is to study and practice poetry. The poet Mary Oliver once wrote: “Ten times a day something happens to me like this – some strengthening throb of amazement – some good sweet empathic ping and swell. This is the first, the wildest...
Dear Reader, I hope you're well! I'm spending these last few days of summer in Maine with my husband, Eric, and in this precious pause before the busyness of the fall begins, I've been thinking a lot about silence. One of my teachers, the Buddhist monk and activist, Thich Nhat Hanh, writes: If you don't have silence in yourself, you cannot hear the call of life. Your heart is calling you, but you don't hear. You don't have time to listen to your heart. So many of us don't have the silence and...