[Robert Pecotte]

Ross, thank you for the kind words and encouragement. I indeed sing, mostly to myself, as not upset too many, but I enjoy it. I set myself a task to great to tackle while still in grief and it extinguished the fire. That, I think, is over now and there is a little fire burning again.

Ann, good to see so many familiar names and to hear their greetings and there support. Thank you.

Peter, sorry to hear of the loss of your employment, it is something that makes one search for deeper things along with gainful employment. I pray that a better door opens to you and that you continue the good work you have begun in your writing, which if I remember rightly, is with considerable skill. That poem from Hopkin's is the familiar lament of the friends of God as they experience the cross and see others receive the glory of this life. It is painful to read, as I can sympathize with him.

Last night a little bird song at my window gave me the spark I needed to begin again.

Thank you for your support and shared experience.

[Catherine Chandler]

Hello, Fr. Rob,

How nice to hear from you! Thank you for the Easter wishes and blessings of the season to you as well.

As for dry spells, I've been writing a lot less since the deaths of my parents (2011 and 2012) and the critical illness of my daughter (2012), though these sad events did find their way into several long poems. I am slowly refocusing and I hope that the same happens as far as your writing is concerned.

Warm wishes,
Cathy

[Robert Pecotte]

Hello Cathy,

Sorry about your parents death and your daughters illness. Life sways rather quickly at times and leaves us bewildered. I am starting to get a little zeal back for writing and have pecked out a little piece and got some help from some old spherian masters (and, I really needed it as my rust was rusty!)

Thinking about posting it, as I have a a question or two about it still.

Thanks for the encouragement

[Duncan Gillies MacLaurin]

Originally Posted by Robert Pecotte

Thanks Richard! It has been far too long. It's good to see some of the old timers are still around.

Hopefully, I will be able to post something that can be savaged like in the old days! ;-)

You meant "salvaged", didn't you?

Duncan

[Robert Pecotte]

"What I have written I have written"

[Roger Slater]

George Herbert (of course), from The Flower.

...And now in age I bud again,
After so many deaths I live and write;
... I once more smell the dew and rain,
And relish versing. Oh, my only light,
...... It cannot be
...... That I am he
On whom thy tempests fell all night.

[Rick Mullin]

I went dry from 1983 to 2006. But I did other things, and came back stronger.

Thanks for checking in! It is nice to hear from you.

Rick

[Robert Pecotte]

Roger,

That's an excellent verse from Herbert, thank you for that.

Rick,

Thanks for the shared experience and encouragement. It's good to hear from so many familiar writer's and to participate in the Poetry and discussions again.

[John Whitworth]

Robert,

Quite a long time ago I found I was writing the same poem again and again. For me writing nonsense turned out to be the way to go. (Yeah right). My humble thanks to Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear and, via translation, Christian Morgenstern.

The moonsheep stands upon the clearing.
He waits and waits to get his shearing.
The moonsheep.

The moonsheep plucks himself a blade
returning to his alpine glade.
The moonsheep.

The moonsheep murmurs in his dream:
'I am the cosmos' gloomy scheme.'
The moonsheep.

The moonsheep, in the morn, lies dead.
His flesh is white, the sun is red.
The moonsheep.

That's a lousy translation.

[William Thompson]

Fr. Rob,

I live in a dry spell. But there's a book called How to Fly a Horse, by Kevin Ashton, that I'm finding helpful.

Bill