Today is my Birthday

Dear Readers, it is mid-Lent.

How are you doing? The snow has melted here in greater Boston, my houseplants are coming alive again, my cat is crazed to get outside each morning, and I have had more speaking engagements/poetry readings than ever before in my life. It all brings to mind one of my all-time favorite songs, Spring, by The Innocence Mission, from their 2010 album “My Room in the Trees” ~

Look out for spring

the life underground

the life underground

the thawing out, the overflow

Oh early, early, in the morning we’ll go …

I had a wonderful time last weekend at the Branches Gathering in New Hampshire. I spoke on Fire in the Bible as a compelling theme that is traceable and nuanced, that develops and surprises, and is filled full by Jesus. I tried to share my own process of writing poems in direct conversation with the Bible, got to read quite a few of my own poems all related to fire (had no idea how many of my poems speak to this theme!), and enjoyed leading about a dozen folks in a poetry workshop. They wrote some stellar poems in an hour!

And this weekend I’m headed to The Breath & The Clay (are any of you?) and I’m stoked to be able to read some of my poems during a songwriters/poets showcase on Saturday. If you’re going to be there, come say hello!

Today is my 43rd birthday, and so, as it falls on a Wednesday where I usually share a poem in this newsletter, I’ve decided to let you all in on a secret. Poets can be weird about this — but I’m going to tell you unashamedly that I have a favorite poem among all my little poem-babies. I wrote it years ago, pretty early on in my journey towards finding poetry to be my vocation. It’s small and in some ways, simple — nothing grand or impressive in form or in my own handling of language. But it delighted me then and it continues to delight me deeply.

Situated in Lent, it somehow speaks hope to my heart, at this seasonal turn from winter to spring. Some of you will have read it before, either in my book, Under the Terebinth, or on this Substack. It’s titled Pseudacris Crucifer (Latin; worth looking up after reading the poem). Do you love the sound of peepers like I do?

With swelling throats, as if to burst,
peepers at our pond’s edge
lift their heads
a thousand strong.
It’s just a mating call —
not a curse on winter’s work,
not quite hosanna, to bless
the coming spring. We don’t know
how they know the days
are lengthening.
Their given name, Cross-bearer,
for the mark on each wet back —
year after year, relentless
in Lent they bear their cross
—I’m here
they scream, for this I came!
Even at dusk, where hope
could fade — the chorus
frogs sing
I’m here! I’m here!

As I said, I’ve got a spot in the songwriters/poets showcase at The Breath & The Clay this weekend, and then the following Saturday, March 28th, I’ll be speaking at Gordon College’s Creative Writing Festival (if you were interested in that Fire talk I mentioned above, I’ll be giving much of the same material at Five Ponds — it’s free and open to the public. You just have to register).

I’ll also be at the Festival of Faith & Writing in Michigan mid-April, and during that time, reading at an offsite poetry reading, comprised of Fare Forward contributors.

~~~

Two weeks from today we’ll be smack in the middle of Holy Week. I’m not sure what I’ll share then, maybe one of my Triduum poems from Under the Terebinth. The Aaronic epic continues; I’ve got three more sections on the go. But I’m pouring out so much for my church’s Easter Vigil service that I admit to not having much more creative energy. It will come. Does your church host an Easter Vigil? Here’s a peek at ours from last year:

Further up & further in,

Anna

p.s. I ran into someone at one of these blesséd conferences, asking about my Bible Lady project: here’s a link if you’re looking for it ~ (Debbie!)