Getting Ready for Poetry Postcard Fest
Cards, Stamps, and Thoughts
I’m simultaneously nervous and excited to send postcard poems to thirty-one strangers. The most important rule? Write the poem in one fell swoop -no drafts, no practicing your handwriting, just an outburst of words that cannot be taken back.
I want to be proud of my work. What if the poem stinks? What if a phrase is too long and won’t fit? How can I put my name on an imperfect piece? Well, considering all of my poems are imperfect, I have a lifetime of practice.
I bought postcards off of Zazzle with images of beloved paintings. I bought postcards off of Etsy with cute drawings. I threw a bundle of vintage ones in my cart, too, some weird and some just plain boring.
I drove to JoAnn Fabrics and purchased colored ink pads and flower stamps. I’ve been decorating the postcards like mad and probably will regret it because now there is less space for words.
The words! Where will I get all the words? I hope the simmering stew of sounds in my head, brewing for fifty-seven years, will yield many spoonfuls.
Wish me luck. I’ll keep you posted.
I’m going to hit Publish without a rewrite — eek!
