Hello!
Yes, it’s been a while. Here’s what I’ve been up to:
Gave a presentation to the Baltimore Ethical Society about using my writing to address things I cannot comprehend or change, another to the North Baltimore Chapter of the Maryland Writers Alliance about editing poetry, read as part of The Wilde Poetry Series, hosted numerous First Friday readings, and attended several in-person reading events.
Plus a whole lot of mom-things, family-things and teacher-things.
I’ve written several new poems in response to seeing the criminal destruction of Ukraine and its people. But I haven’t written about events in Uvalde, TX, and I don’t know if I ever will. As a mom, and now as an elementary school teacher, those events are my worst fears. Seeing the images of the children running from the school, one of them looked so much like a student I have now, whom I adore. It magnified the horror of seeing any child run for their lives.
My own son went to his first school dance this week. For him, Covid eliminated what I think of as normal high school experiences. I was anxious all night about the students’ safety. He’s going to his second dance this week, and I don’t expect to worry any less.
Virginia Crawford 