This Exact Sky

Shuly Cawood April 21, 2023

One year when I went through a depressive episode, it lasted months, maybe even the entire twelve of them. I couldn’t get myself out of it—all my usual tricks were not working at all.

The only time I felt like I was back to my usual self was when I was around people—at parties or dances or at work meetings. In a group, somehow my brain could temporarily let go of the heaviness. I still can’t explain it. All I know is that one day, finally, I realized the weight of that time had lifted.

I chose this poem because it talks about what it’s like after the many months of sadness, how you can remember it, how you can be scared of it happening again, but also how it feels to be in this new place and how you want to hold onto that for as long as you can.

This poem, for me, has so much light at its end.

This poem is published in Aaron Smith’s collection Primer and is posted here with permission from the poet. You can learn more about Aaron Smith and his books here.

Thank you, Aaron Smith, for letting me share this moving poem.

It’s National Poetry Month. Every week during the month of April, I am sharing poems I love from contemporary writers. I hope to pique your interest in poetry, if it needs to be piqued, and to show you that a really great poem can be accessible to all.

“See” you soon with the last poem of the month—from our national poet laureate.

Photo credit: Markus Spiske from Unsplash.com

Upcoming Online Writing Workshops

Prompt-Writing like Speed-Dating: Prompt, Write, Next, Prompt, Write, Next (online)
Sunday, April 23, 1-3:00 PM Eastern on Zoom
If you’ve attended Let’s Write Together with me, you’ll recognize the format: I’ll share a piece of writing to inspire you, offer a prompt related to it, and you will have time to write. Except I’ll be offering a new piece and prompt every 10-12 minutes during this two-hour workshop. Think of it like speed dating—there’s another piece and prompt ready to inspire you just around the corner, with plenty of time for sharing at the end. This workshop is in partnership with Press 53. Cost: $45. Register here.

Ignite Your Flash (Nonfiction) via Three Essays
Wednesday, May 3, 11:30 AM-1 PM Eastern on Zoom
Learn the joy of writing brief personal essays. We’ll look at three powerful pieces: a list essay, a profile essay, and an object essay. You’ll then choose one of the given prompts to start your own flash first draft in class. Facilitated by Shuly Xóchitl Cawood. Cost $45. Register here for this workshop only.

This workshop is part of May Is for Moments: A Flash Nonfiction Workshop Series.

Flash in a Dash: Exploring the Micro Essay
Wednesday, May 24, 11:30 AM-1 PM Eastern on Zoom
Small essays can still have a big impact. We’ll look at flash essays that pack a punch in under 300 words and explore why they work. You’ll also be given a prompt to dive into your own micro draft in class. Facilitated by Shuly Xóchitl Cawood. Cost $45. Register here for this workshop only.

This workshop is part of May Is for Moments: A Flash Nonfiction Workshop Series.

A Small Needful Fact

Shuly Cawood April 16, 2023

Throughout high school I played the viola—quite terribly, but because I went to a small school, I was able to be a part of the school orchestra.

I learned a lot from that experience—about teamwork, about sharing responsibility, about listening for the smallest shifts.

Just as importantly, I was exposed to a great deal of classical music. I began to understand how a song and its notes could make me feel something and even understand something in a new way.

That’s what good art does, I think.

The following poem makes me think of that, and how a piece of art can touch you deeply:

"A Small Needful Fact" by Ross Gay was originally published through Split This Rock’s The Quarry: A Social Justice Poetry Database and is posted here with permission from the poet. You can learn more about Ross Gay here. Thank you so much, Ross, for allowing me to share this poem.

It’s National Poetry Month! Throughout the month of April, I will be sharing poems I love from contemporary writers. I hope to pique your interest in poetry, if it needs to be piqued, and to show you that a really great poem can be accessible to all.

“See” you soon with another poem.

Photo credit: Liubov Ilchuk from Unsplash.com

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While Shaving

Shuly Cawood April 12, 2023

When my sister and I were kids and my family would take vacation, my father used to get into the pool with us and play Marco Polo. Everyplace we went, there was always a gaggle of kids who wanted to play with us—our cousins, our friends, or kids we didn’t know who yearned to take part in the fun. My dad welcomed them and led us, and round and round the pool we went shouting and shrieking and running away in the water that slowed us down.

When I think of my youth and of water, my dad is always a part of it—lakes, pools, oceans, water parks. I don’t know that my father was trying to teach me something, but what I learned from him was how important moments were, and that they add up to something greater.

This tender poem by Alfredo Aguilar is about moments between a parent and son. I’ve always appreciated a poem that is quiet and gentle yet filled with depth.

This poem was first published in Waxwing and is posted here with permission from the poet. You can learn more about Alfredo Aguilar here. Thank you, Alfredo, for letting me share this beautiful poem.

It’s National Poetry Month! During the month of April, I will be sharing poems I love from contemporary writers. I hope to pique your interest in poetry, if it needs to be piqued, and to show you that a really great poem can be accessible to all.

“See” you soon with another poem.

Photo credit: Lance Asper from Unsplash.com

Upcoming Online Writing Workshops

This workshop is part of May Is for Moments: A Flash Nonfiction Workshop Series.

May Is for Moments: A Flash Nonfiction Workshop Series
Five Wednesdays: May 3-31, 11:30 AM-1:00 PM Eastern on Zoom
Dive into flash nonfiction (VERY SHORT PERSONAL ESSAYS!) every Wednesday in May with this series of five workshops:
—Ignite Your Flash (Nonfiction): an Intro in Three Essays (facilitated by Shuly Xóchitl Cawood)
—Breathlessness: The Power and Purpose of One-Sentence Flash (facilitated by Tracy Rothschild Lynch)
—Mapping and Memory: The Power of the Visual (facilitated by Tracy Rothschild Lynch)
—Flash in a Dash: Exploring the Micro Essay (facilitated by Shuly Xóchitl Cawood)
—Telling Your Story Sideways, Upside-down, Inside-out: Alternative Forms in Nonfiction (facilitated by Carla Rachel Sameth)