I went to sleep last night in the pouring rain, and I was glad for it, and woke to the faintest shift to snow, and the woods were wet but it stopped precipitating. I walked tired and did not gain energy. There was little to see that excited me. What I was thinking about was my writing day, and needing something to bring to group tonight. Yesterday, I decided I would find a way to work on the long essay which I haven’t touched in weeks and I wondered if I would open it today and hate it. I dreamed of Dan early this morning, and that convinced me I was right to open the essay. And before I walked I did open it, and I found the first few pages to be strong, and I was relieved. After so many revisions, leaving it alone, to return and find it appealing, well written, it was delightful to find that out. But that’s not what I brought to group. I was inspired, after my walk, to start a brand new poem from last night’s entry here, prompted by my poetry mentor who suggested I try writing a pantun. I considered this, and that’s what got me started. But the poem immediately lapsed into my free form and I found no rhyme scheme, and felt, honestly, too lazy to try very hard for one. Tonight, despite the fact that my poem wasn’t a pantun, my poetry group liked it. I got some excellent suggestions to consider. And something else to consider, has nothing to do with writing a poem, but making an apology, which I did, to a colleague. I wrote something smacking of self-righteousness in an e-mail to her earlier in the day. This bothered me a lot. And I did apologize. I know I’m rambling, now, thought to thought, but when I dropped my young poetry friend off at her apartment after our group, she thanked me for my encouragement last week. I drove her home and encouraged her, urged her, to keep working on her poem and she said it made a difference. This is what I care so much about, making a real difference, a positive difference, in someone’s day, by saying something that’s supportive, and true. With my friend, in the e-mail, I wish I had not missed the chance to say the supportive thing the first time.