April Is Poetry Month

And I'm in a new anthology! Thanks for the mention Ana Wang!

Hi,

I’ve been away for a while. My occupation is deadly for a writer. I’m a high school teacher, and well, if I told the truth about my teacher-life, you’d be offering a pledge drive on my behalf, Jerry Lewis Telethon style, complete with a showcase of pop singers of the 80s and early 90s all lip synching their hearts out, and tear jerking stories from previous students who can testify that I prepared them/harassed them with comment, after comment after comment in their Google Document submissions to edit, edit and edit more. The telethon would raise enough money to keep me stable with Lyft rides to and from school, prepared meals complete with fresh fruits and vegetables, laundry drop off, therapy and meditation services to keep me stable enough for the next three months to get the class of 2024 across the stage and out into the world. Call me crazy, but I’m fresh from a 2 day bus tour, one night in a hotel chaperoning 37 students to three HBCUs. But there is light in my life. April is National Poetry Month! I woke up this Easter Monday with a poem promenading! My goal is to finish it by tonight.

And yes, I’m burying the lede. Again. Here’s the highlight of my day.

Today, I was included in an article by another Substack writer in search of poets. You found me Ana Wang! What makes this shout out so gratifying is that I have new poetry in the world on this the first day of National Poetry Month April 2024. Yay!

I learned about submissions for this anthology because of Substack! Check out the front and back cover below.

How Poets Find out about Submissions

Maria Luisa Arroyo Cruzado was featured in an Oldster Magazine post, the very first Substack article I read. Cruzado describes herself as a Boricua poet, intersectional feminist educator, writer and artist. I found joy and honesty and a sense of “I’m-still- here-creating” in that article. It was the kind of story that keeps a woman writer of a certain age and background the push needed sometimes to keep going. Included in her questionnaire was a submissions link to an anthology and I responded quickly. Other poets answered her submissions call as well. Two writers featured in the anthology are familiar to me and I am happy to be in great company. Vanessa Chica Ferreira’s is a poet and playwright of a new show Live Big Girl; A Chair That Fits. The play is directed by the artist, poet and entrepreneur, Peggy Robles-Alvarado. Ms. Alvarado’s online journal La Libreta publishes art, poetry and audio performances. My poem, A Man Had a Knife on the 6 Train Heading South was featured there. If you are interested in submitting your woman-centered work, the deadline for the May 2024 publication is today, April 1st, so hurry! And if you’d like to order the anthology, we’d love to see it in your hands. Readings for the anthology are coming in person and online, so stay tuned.

Thanks for reading my Substack. To all you poets, happy April is Poetry Month. Happy writing!

Other writers offering poetry prompts:

Vanessa Martir’s A prompt & pearl: Week 11. Week 11 already, but don’t let that stop you.