A Night Off the Mississippi

Last Friday, I attended the monthly meeting of the Mississippi Mud Daubers haiku group. An elder Principia friend invited me to attend, the same who treated me to the Cradle of American Haiku conference in Mineral Point, WI, last summer. She, along with two other poetically-minded (or at least interested) Principia adults, journeyed to Edwardsville, IL, for a delightful little gathering.

We met in a little cafe, about 10 poets strong–probably the biggest group they’ve had. And once again, I was the youngster. =) I just walked up to the table, and it was like I had been attending for years. Everyone was incredibly welcoming. After brief introductions, everyone shared recent news & accomplishments (eg., poems published in journals and anthologies, haiku talks given). I was asked to recite my poems in Frogpond, which were received with smiles. Then, after or over a light supper, we read and reviewed each other’s poems. Essentially, this consisted of shuffling sheets of paper along the tables without dripping water or pesto on them as you wrote comments. Lots of positive feedback and constructive criticism on all accounts, and some beautiful imagery. When the bouts of editing finished, everyone merrily dispersed.

I’d share some of the poems I took, but I plan to submit them to haiku journals, and, naturally, they will not accept previously published material, including poems posted on blogs. So stay tuned; I’ll let you know when they hit the press!