This blog just had it’s second anniversary recently. Not surprisingly (as a poetry blog) I spent a lot of time reading other poetry blogs. I had the great pleasure of reading some outstanding poetry that influenced me. Sometimes I had the good sense to write it down or print it out… most of the time I did not. The reason this is significant is because many of these poets have shut down their blogs for all sorts of different reasons and I cannot go back and read their work even though (at times) I desperately want to. Two years does not seem like much time and yet it also seems almost an eternity.
François Bergh was one of the first other blogs I followed. I believe he wrote from South Africa. Sometimes he posted music too. He wrote some fantastic love poems (not that he was a one-trick pony, mind you). His blog is gone and he left a beautiful goodbye message by another musician. I miss you Mr. Bergh. I hope you are well.
David wrote amazing Haikus. I don’t know his last name. I don’t know if he is “published in real life.” I believe he wrote from Maine (one of the states in the United States). He could do so much with so little. He made me realize that Haikus are not just something you teach school children to introduce them to poetry because they are short and “easy.” He was a master of the Haiku. I wish I still had access to his archives… I feel like there is so much more for me to learn. Please be well my fellow traveler.
David Jones wrote poetry for the site OneMereMortal. His words could be like a gut-punch that you did not want to recover from because at the same time they would rip apart your heart they would also speak to it that it was not alone in its pain or in its ecstasy. And none of us want to be alone. Mr. Jones your words were beautiful. Also, your quotes of the day were always profound food for thought. I will miss them. I will miss you. Don’t ever hesitate to contact me through the blog if you get the inclination.
Caddo Veil was one of my most frequent commenters. She was one of my nicest and most sympathetic commenters. She always read my posts. I always read hers (even when I didn’t comment or “like” them). Her poetry got better and better and better the longer she posted. She wrote poems about our God and all the things He had done for her and in the world and in the heavens. Her words were so beautiful and so true and I miss them so much. I did not really realize just how much I missed them until I sat down to write this post. I “say” this with tears: “I miss you sister. I will see you on the other side of the veil if not before (see what I did there- wink, wink, nudge, nudge).” And don’t ask me why I always tell terrible jokes when I am trying to be serious.
There was a poet on wordpress who called himself “Planaquarium.” He (like Caddo) wrote about our God often. His poetry was so beautiful that I used to run to the computer in the morning when I woke up to see if he had posted anything. It was so good that if he had only posted one poem every year and had posted that poem on a different day on a different month every year (so that it was never posted on the same date) I still would have checked his blog every single day (sometimes twice a day) to see if he had posted anything. Words cannot express how much I miss your words. I wish I knew you. I pray that you and yours are well. God bless you sir.
These are just some of the poets that have gone on to other things. There were others as well. And these are just some poets (I didn’t even mention other artists, humourists, and philosophers). I wish I knew every single one of them in real life because words matter and theirs were beautiful. Poetry blogs often do not receive many comments (there are exceptions, of course) and I do not know what most of my own readers think of me and my words. I hope that there is more than just noise and pain that comes from them (my words here on this site). May God bless you all.
A Soul's Walk 