"Poet Wanted"

Most of the time, I feel like the pursuit of my MFA in Creative Writing was nothing more than an indulgence. A hollow activity that became anti-climatic the minute I had achieved it. Don't get me wrong, I know that sounds so #firstworldproblems. I honestly appreciate the fact that I was able to attend graduate school, and that I worked like hell to finish a degree, but it was certainly one of those instances where you realize the journey was more important than the ultimate destination. The anti-climatic-ness of the whole thing left me wanting. So I almost immediately enrolled in another Masters program. A glutton for punishment. A glutton for knowledge. A glutton for something akin to validation. I felt like the MFA was too easy. Like I didn't suffer enough to get it (forget the twenty plus years it took me to get my BA and then the MFA). Like I didn't deserve it. Like it didn't matter.

Fast forward three years. I have done nothing with my MFA. I really haven't even written much of anything other than occasional blog posts. I've signed up for two poetry workshops and haven't written anything. I have attended exactly one reading (last month), but other than that I have been completely enmeshed in anything *but* the poetry community. So when I came across an email with the subject line of "Poet Wanted" yesterday morning, my eyes saw it, but my brain really didn't register it. And then it did. It was an email to the general "arts community" of Tacoma. I subscribe to the list, so the email popped up into my inbox. Intriguing to say the least.

I quickly replied to the email, unsure of what the initiator wanted. He is a photographer, that much I already knew. But in a little bit of correspondence yesterday, I discovered that he wants to collaborate with a poet, for a book that would contain poetry and photos. How perfect is that? While I'm not sure that the "theme" is exactly up my alley, I could sooo make it work. And just the excitement I got in thinking about it, told me that it was an opportunity I needed to pursue. So I might. Depending on the timeline and what he wants, and if he finds me suitable for his needs, it might be something workable. And that is exciting. That has caused my poetry blood to course just a bit. We will see what happens. And if it doesn't work out, at least it got me thinking, inspired and re-ignited. And that is always a good thing.