If you want some love poetry, I'm posting some of my favorites on Twitter until Valentine's Day.

And this is new, a poem inspired by Chagall's painting "The Birthday", among other miraculous things. Especially from one particular being - someone a poet friend called "my beautiful muse."

The Birthday

Despite my mother’s warnings against superstition
and the black book pressed into her lap,
its exhortations:  in the dark ink of nothingness,
on the white paper of winter skies.
Despite the  cost of butter for a cake,
and the warning to save candles for blackouts.
Despite years of loneliness
packed into my bones like rationed flour.
I bought flowers for my birthday
and refused to pretend otherwise.
I made a cake and broke a pomegranate
while it baked, counted each jeweled seed
as it burst on my tongue while I waited.
I opened the window to March wind.
Despite everything, I made a wish.
It floated out on sugared air.

You floated back on jonquil breath.

Decades of stinginess had taught me
to wish only for a kiss.
Some granter of wishes, not conversant in lack,
gave me you.

...that was an awkward pause so forget the graceful transition and here we go.

Happy Tally: This winter has been rich with inspiration from talented friends and loved ones doing wonderful work. Life the Griot, a documentary about social worker and poet Lemuel (aka "Life") LaRoche, was just released in Athens to an enthusiastic and sold-out crowd. Not only is Life's work with young people a testament to the goodness of doing good, his work was artfully depicted by the talented Matt DeGennaro of Surprisingly Professional Productions. Many who saw the film in Athens immediately brainstormed ways to get involved in the community. Can one man make a difference? Can art make a difference? Hide and watch, people.

I've had a few more poems find homes, which is always satisfying. The title poem of the book was just printed in The Chattahoochee Review's animal-themed issue. I look forward to digging into to the issue soon, but it's a good-looking thing to have on the desk until then.

Love Poems: I have been pulling some favorite love poems and lines from them on my Twitter account. Right now the selections are heavily canted toward love/lusty themes, but I hope to add many from the other varieties of love. I'd love to hear some of your favorites - in whatever vein or style - requited/unrequited/anti-love/familial/sexual/spiritual or even an ode to bologna.