Tayloring Words, March 15, 2011
It has been a brutal winter in Wyoming, but I think spring is finally just around the corner. The sun is shining, and the snow is melting. I’ve been hearing birds and the occasional woodpecker. A couple of days ago, we set our clocks ahead one hour, and although I hated getting up yesterday morning when it was still dark, it has been nice to have more daylight in the evening. I can’t wait to get out and walk, breathe the fresh air, and maybe come up with an idea for a spring poem.
 
For those of you who don’t have e-mail and may not be aware, our Treasurer, Art Elser, suffered a massive heart attack about a month ago. Fortunately, after spending time in two Denver hospitals and undergoing open heart surgery, he is home and recovering. I subscribe to his Caring Bridge page on the Internet, but I haven’t received an update in a while so I’m assuming no news is good news. Let’s keep him in our thoughts and prayers. Also, we should think of the people in Japan and be thankful that we don’t have earthquakes, tsunamis, and nuclear power plant leakages here. Now, there’s something to write a poem about!
 
On a happier note, kudos to Nancy Curtis for winning a governor’s arts award in February. I was thrilled to learn she was one of the recipients. With her experience in the publishing business and with mentoring other poets, I thought she was a perfect candidate. Congratulations, Nancy!

I read a poem a couple of days ago that got me to thinking: “The Beatles” by Dorianne Laux. It ponders the question of why the group broke up, especially since members of the band had wives and families, and their music was bringing in a lot of money. I can understand why musicians feel they need to separate and move on. I recently decided to leave a singing group because my philosophy on performance is different from theirs. In the fifteen years I sang with them, members and directors came and went, and the group’s dynamic changed as a result.
 
This can happen with any organization whether it is a rock band or a poetry group, but I doubt it will happen to WyoPoets. I’m proud to say that we have a bunch of great people committed to writing and promoting poetry in Wyoming, and I hope we will continue to function for many years to come. I will see you all at the workshop in April.
 
Abbie Taylor