Skagit River Poetry Festival, Spring Flowers, And Getting Back into the Game (Slowly)

Roberto Carlos Ascalon, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Oliver de la Paz, and me

Just back from the Skagit River Poetry Festival up in La Conner, Washington, where I got to see tons of poet friends and visit the quaint town. Some wonderful featured readers, including Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Natalie Diaz and Naomi Shahib Nye. The best part of this thing is just seeing so many of your friends all in one place, which happens so rarely. (Sometimes just at AWP!) Even my local friends kind of live all over the place, so it’s hard to get us all together – except at events like this. Sadly, the town that just three weeks ago was covered in tulips was almost flower-free this time around! Saw lots of goldfinches and several bald eagles and herons up close, which made up for it.

sunset over the channel in La Conner

Trying to get back into the swing of things – including editing the Dwarf Stars Awards with Lesley Wheeler, writing poems, sending out work and getting things ready for the next book’s launch. I’m just taking it a little at a time right now, as I have doc’s appointments for the next two weeks almost every day – holdover from things the last three months cancer-scare crisis, like “how do we treat those rare liver tumors now?” and “what about your brain lesions” and such. I’m just trying to balance things the best I can for now. The iris are blooming near the rivers, in the Japanese garden, the water lilies are blooming. It seems much later in the season, flower-rise, than the date would indicate. Our lilacs and wisteria are already gone. Baby bunnies are appearing in the grass at the parks, and ducklings in the ponds. Despite our recent chilly rain, late spring has arrived, and summer is around the corner…