I'm Back!

Gosh, It's Been a Long Time...

since I have posted. Truthfully, I have neglected my site because of technical hurdles (changing from a pc to a mac) which are now solved.

Last fall, I offered my first Women Writing for (a) Change classes in Traverse City and we had a wonderful time writing, discovering and sharing our writings.

Then life got crazy. We needed to sell our Cincinnati house and buy a condo (it's impossible to maintain a house from 500 miles away!) and that necessitated my spending time in Cincy: de-cluttering, un-decorating and de-personalizing our home for sale. The good news is that we sold in 2 weeks in a down market. The condo is being updated (it was circa 1973) and we'll move in in July....either before or after my Weekend Writing Retreat, July 11-13 at the Augustine Center in Petoskey, MI.

My writing life has been very rich. Every day I write a poem is a good day and I have had plenty of good days. My latest poem is a haiku that was inspired by listening to Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett on NPR. She had a Vietnamese Buddist master on and he represented the epitome of peace, calm and compassion.

Here is the poem this listening session spawned:

Compassion

Haiku inspired by Vietnamese Monk, Thich Nhat Hanh

Cleansing open wounds,
tendrils of the heart unfurl,
mindful of the pain

I am excited about returning to the Traverse City area in a week or two.

In addition, I received the fabulous news that a poem of mine is being published in the University of North Carolina - Charlotte - literary magazine, Sanskrit in May.

Here is the poem that is being published (I must admit it's a favorite of mine!):

I’m Not Really a Waitress

Hands down my favorite nail color,
“I’m Not Really a Waitress”
is come-on crimson,
imparting cachet, shedding caution
with each precise brush stroke.

But if “I’m not really a waitress,”
who the hell am I?
A glamorous diva singing Puccini,
my audience waiting
for the fat lady to sing?

The woman who waves the flag
at road construction sites,
jackhammer staccatos
punching my time clock?

Maybe a saucy CEO –
flush with bucks for a
weekly manicure, throw in
a massage for good measure.

No, “I’m Not Really a Waitress,”
shouts I’m a classy broad.
with well turned ankles,
confidence and conviction.

I’m not really a waitress,
but I can act like one
if you want me to, Honey.

I'm thrilled about being published.

Well, look for more information about retreats and classes. I am investigating an August retreat in Ann Arbor and am planning classes in Traverse City on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. in the Fall.

Blessings to you all,

Anni Macht Gibson