Who would have thought a little poem about picking currants could mean so much?
In the mail today came my Hal Prize, the tangible prize beyond the honor and the publication: a monetary prize, a week’s stay at Write On Door County, and a lovely hand-crafted mug from Clay Bay Pottery, which may be, after all, my favorite thing.
As you can see by the photograph, the mug screams Door County: pottery, art, nature, even its implicit humility, as far away from pretension as can be. I will use it for my coffee tomorrow morning and cherish it forever.
About my poem “The Obligation,” which you can find on page 11 of the digital version of Peninsula Pulse, the poetry judges Alessandra Simmons and Tobias Wray of cream city review, wrote:
“In direct, clear language ‘The Obligation’ draws a scene of surprising depth. The speaker of the poem carries out a mundane task that reveals how we relate to others. With lines as lush and insistent as the fruit they describe, this poem serves up the simple solitude of circumstance and, in the last line in particular, transcends the poem to implicate the reader.”
I am saving your novel to read to distract and interest me while I am recovering from my knee surgery. Where in Door County is your writing week? The Clearing? that would be a real treat!!
It’s called Write On Door County, and it’s in Fish Creek.
PS. Love the mug!!
This daughter of mine has been creative since childhood. She has painted pictures with crayons, brushes, needles & thread, and pen and ink. This latest picture made me cry because it truly describes not only an “obligation ” but a labor of love for the wonderful woman who first planted those currants.
Thanks, Mom.