The start of the year is a blur. March 14th we were on the periphery of a tornado, and our house sustained damage (the neighborhood). Lots of hail and wind and rain. Roof, siding, trees (the pine out back the deer slept under!) ruined. We found out we had Bateman and not Batman insurance (yes, we do have --had-- State Farm). We’ve just had the siding done, the roof was finished in July. The trees took a few months to clean up as we had an above-average rainfall the tree guys couldn’t get their equipment in. The shed is still in a holding status. But, but, no heavy structural damage.
I finished my second math class and graduated from Southwestern Illinois College in May. Woot! And yesterday was the end of the summer semester, and therefore, the first year of the MFA program wrapped up. The highlight of the program is the summer semester, which was in Barcelona from June 28th through July 12th. Seminars, workshops, readings, tours, and heat, so much heat. I left the heat dome of Saint Louis for the heat of Spain.
It feels like we’ve been traveling a lot. Last week we were in Tulsa for Jerry’s birthday -- living on Tulsa Time – it was a bit of a bleed over from my birthday in February because I wanted to go see the Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie Centers; both are worth the trip.
Earlier in the summer, we were in Oregon. A tidy little trip to see my mom (and almost everyone else in the family!). The Bambina and her love flew out; Jerry and I drove (one of my favorite drives is I-80 across Nebraska and Wyoming). We spent the first night in Ogallala. For some reason, I like this little town. I wouldn’t want to live there, but I do have a poem that starts “If the world should end in Ogallala, let me drift on the Platte till I’m free…”.
Anyway, here is a poem I wrote in Barcelona and some more pictures of my year so far.
Dragonflies at Montserrat
On the serrated mountain
above the Llobregat River,
the Black Madonna erases
sin. At the lily pond,
below the cathedral,
the nothingness of frogs,
sinless fish and the bright
day abuzz with angels.
[Montserrat is a spectacularly beautiful Benedictine monk mountain retreat about one-hour northwest of Barcelona by train.
Montserrat Monastery is of significant religious importance and the natural beauty surrounding the monastery is breathtaking.
Montserrat derives from Latin and Catalan, meaning "Serrated Mountain." This name describes the mountain's jagged, saw-toothed appearance, which is characterised by its unique needle-shaped peaks and rocky formations. These formations have been shaped over millions of years by natural erosion processes, creating a dramatic and distinctive landscape.]
