Joint Custody

Shuly Cawood April 28, 2023

When I was dating in my twenties and thirties, I didn’t always make the best choices. I remember so clearly the man who ignored me when he was angry, the man who forgot to call when he said he would, the man who said he needed space but didn’t like it when I made plans with other people.

But there were other men—good men. Men who called to check up on me. Men who made long drives to see me. Men who made promises they kept. But I couldn’t always see good fortune when I had it right in front of me. Sometimes I feel like I didn’t see clearly when I was loved beautifully. Looking back, I have a more honest picture of all of it.

Which brings me to this poem by Ada Limón, our current United States Poet Laureate.

The fine print about this poem: From The Hurting Kind by Ada Limón (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2022). Copyright © 2022 by Ada Limón. Reprinted with permission from Milkweed Editions. milkweed.org. You can find her books here.

A big thank you to Ada Límon (and her rep) for allowing me to put this poem on my blog.

And to you, my blog readers and subscribers: It’s the end of National Poetry Month. THANK YOU for allowing me to share poems with you, as I like to do every April. I hope that you found some new works and new poets to like, and maybe even love.

I'll be back in the next few weeks with your regularly scheduled blog topics about life, love, and determination.

Photo credit: Robert Tudor from Unsplash.com

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Upcoming Online Writing Workshops

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.

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.

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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