Poetry Retreat 2017

Well, it's been a while since I wrote, and I just realized I never finished writing about my trip to Italy.  There have been a few interruptions since I last wrote: hurricanes, trips to New Mexico, the World Series (YES, Houston's IN it!), and now here we are, our 9th poetry retreat at Surfside.

We're a small group this year: 7 last night, maybe 8 today. Richard flies down from Canada each Fall, hoping for a little Texas warmth, but he's greeted this year with blustery winds and falling temperatures. It's 47 degrees this morning, with a wind chill of 41. And tonight's supposed to be record lows - in the upper 30's. Here's hoping there's at least some sunshine on our beach today.

This year's theme is: Writing the Ache for God.

Personally, this year my heart's not aching for "God". At least that's my first thought. My mind automatically goes back to my Baptist God, and how my heart used to burn for "Him".  Today, I have no clue where that God is, and my heart aches for something way less - at least that's what it seems. I wrote in my journal a few days ago (trying to find a poem)...what my heart aches for is a normal day. There has been so much upheaval with this new president in office; "normal" is all I want.  And as I wrote, this is what I came up with:

God’s Name is “Normal”

That’s my ache.

No news, just Normal.

No bulletins

No tweets

No broadcasts

No yuge announcements

Easy breath

Simple times and quiet places

White space

That would be enough – a day

of Normal.

Welcome to poetry 101, 2017. I'm really not sure I have anything this Fall. Writing poetry goes deep into the soul. Writing poetry is (for me) hard work, and I don't have a clue if I have any energy for it. I feel all used up just trying to live in the chaotic disappointment and loss of each day. And seriously...God Who? God Where? There is no "Him" in any of this. At least from where I sit - my point of view.

Personally? I'm grateful for the World Series.  It's a wonderful distraction. If God is the Ache, maybe that's God's new name: World Series, or  maybe Distraction.