i had a couple of pre-ordered collections come in the last week or so. really looking forward to those. i find that when i'm reading good poems, it makes me want to write again. the best response to a poem is another poem (attributed to various — phyllis webb, margaret avison, etc), & so on. maybe i'll start looking seriously into my manuscript again. maybe i'll start sending it off again next year.
i say that because i know i need to, because i know it's good, and because a kind of malaise has set over me on that. well, seven publishers have rejected it so far (although, many saying it was close), & my writing doesn't hit certain things everyone's trying to publish right now, so why bother? the devil on my shoulder growing bolder. you can feel your work is good, but if you can't find an editor who agrees with you, well, ...