PostPoems Be Artistic. Be Creative. Be Inspired!

[Before proceeding, I want to acknowledge a previous essay, In the Spirit Of Thanks Giving, posted here at Postpoems by a fellow Poet, BMosley; I think everyone at Postpoems ought to read it.]

Almost half a century ago, while I was in high school, I was almost dumbfounded by my first reading of the first Canticle, Infenor, of Dante's great and superlative poem, The Divine Comedy:  especially the inscription of the entrance to Hell, "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here."  (I believe that is John Ciardi's translation of it.)

   Postpoems is not, thankfully, the Inferno; but, over its virtual entrance, or its metaphysical entrance, should be inscribed the words of America's greatest twentieth century Poet, Wallace Stevens . . . Pop Stevems . . . words from one of his greatest and most poignant final poems, Final Soliloquy Of The Interior Paramour, which read:

Being there together is enough . . .

This is what Postpoems means.   Any site can feature posted poetry; but Postpoems is the only site I know of that also fosters community.  And if I, at times, have violated that sense of community (I can think of one highly embarrassing sequence of events of which I am deeply, even horrifically, ashamed), I offer my sincere apology.  Jesus said that if I have offended someone, I must go and make it right before asking His forgiveness; and I want to so that here.  Some of you might know that for two and a half years, and until July of this year, I had to put up with the presence of a Foley Catheter, which happened to cause me enormous pain; and that pain clouded my judgement and behavior at times.  But even pain is no excuse, no justification, for maltreating a neighbor, a friend, a fellow and equal member of Postpoems.

The next few weeks will bring some very (personally) significant events:  Thanksgiving (and thoughts of that Holiday feast enjoyed, during my early childhood, at my grandparents' rural residence); Christmas---the Incarnation of my Savior; Epiphany---the celebration of the appearance of the Star which led the Magi (whom some have called, the Starwatchers) to offer their homage, worship and gifts to the child Jesus (not a newborn at that time, most likely a toddler); and then, for me personally, January 9th, the day I became a Christian in 1994, and January 16th, the day, a week later, on which I was baptized.  I have been enormously blessed by these events in the past, and I look forward to celebrating them now; and among the many celebratory joys of this season, I am thankful to be a member of Postpoems, and thankful for all of the Poets who are also members here.  

With the utmost sincerity and gratitude,

Starward

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