Two for the Birds

This week, in celebration of full-on-finally spring and its fluttering spirit delegation, all the earth’s Winged Ones—and since I said last week that it was a good season for poetry—I wanted to simply share a favorite piece by my earliest, most foundational poetic inspiration—that everlasting rascal, e.e. cummings.

If you’re ever wondering where on earth I got the idea that the only real of rule of creativity club is you can do whatever the hell you want, this is where.

Who gave you your first inkling that your medium might be more fluid and exciting than you’d previously been led to believe? Who inspired you to take flight?

I’ve collected plenty more inspirations who’ve emboldened me to go rogue since that shimmering forever-ago day when I collided with my very first e.e. cummings poem, which I still physically have in my possession—it’s been with me for years and has lived in a little place of honor in every single one of my homes for over three decades, even when I lived in a van and had it stuck to the interior wall with electrical tape! Even when I lived in another van after that. 😉

But it was e.e. cummings who started me on the trajectory of artistic mischief that I’m still on.

Here’s where that traveling poem lives these days:

What I wouldn’t give to sit with the poet himself and talk shop! I fell in love with language because of him—words and their possibilities, poetry in particular. I was twelve! Can you imagine? But that’s a tale for another time. There have been many other creative tricksters who’ve nudged me on as I’ve come along since then, but he (lucky me!) was the first. He’ll always have a very special perch in my heart of hearts because of it.

For now: Read these again. Go for a walk and take them with you! It’s May! RIGHT NOW! East in the medicine wheel: place of light, place of air, the energy with which all journeys begin. Plant a seed. Be young. Open your heart to the birds. I’ll be saluting this one in the weird wheel of my work always. 🩵

And speaking of wheels, sure, why not? Just for fun :

Love & light from the margins,

ali ✨

Star in the Margin is free and open to all, but does require lots of time, love, and energy! If you’re into the vibe and want to cheer me on. . .

Buy me a coffee! ☺️

Related reading:

Fits and Starts

·

Jan 19

You guys: I’ve been up to my eyeballs in my first novel for years, and I’ve amassed a LOT of notes. In going through them, I discovered this very friendly comment to myself, complete with a handy pair of weird working metaphors to help me wrap my head around the shine of it. (This note-taker, she’s so helpful! She really knows how to explain things to m…

Creative Mutiny!

·

November 24, 2025

This week, a creative gem to share from one of my favorite books of the year. This book was a surprise find the last time I was at Tombolo Books, the adorable little independent bookshop that opened several years ago in the lovely gulf-coast, arts-forward, subtropical town of St. Pete, Florida, which is a happy place of mine. 💛 If you’re ever in the ar…