Is it December already?

each poem patient
unfolding, deliberate
petal by petal

-Each Poem Patient - Haiku from "Sitting Inside Wonder" (Monkey Book Press, 2003) by Maiana Minahal

It was just 30+1 days ago that we had set up the microphone at Pusod in Berkeley to kick off the west coast readings for Going Home to a Landscape (Amazon says they only have 4 left) when the next thing I know, we're here at City Lights bookstore for the last reading for 2003.

It was the first time I had climbed the steps to the poetry room, but there was this sense of reverence for the poets and people who had climbed the steps before me and for the poetry they had written. Like steps to the attic that lead you to lost love letters and old pictures. Maybe I'd leave a love letter or two.

The flu going around claimed a couple of poets: Eileen Tabios and Dawn Mabalon who couldn't join us. And I THANK YOU both SO VERY MUCH for keeping the rest of us healthy, though your delightful smiles and personalities are always missed. I hope they're getting all the rest and fluids they need. But, Eileen's cousin, Michelle (such a lovely name) stopped by and said hello.

Hopefully Tatang will post pics of the event soon.

It was a grand time reading with Maiana and Barbara Jane again. We've been reading poetry together since the maganda days back at UC Berkeley. Boy, time just flies fast! Who would have thought we'd be here at City Lights together celebrating both Barbara's "Gravities of Center" and Maiana's "Sitting Inside Wonder"? Joining us also was Angela Torres who I met at the first reading who read "what I tell my son about the moon," which I so enjoy listening to. And Marianne Villanueva being her charming hosting self.

What a whirlwind of a month, I don't know how Marianne travelled to all those readings in the Bay and NYC and still teach three classes. The next reading will be in Pasadena January 10. In some ways the readings have been so much fun it was kind of sad that this was the last one for a while. Which of course led us to talking about possible poetic road trips to LA and/or San Diego.

SO all you San Diego and So Cal people, ya reading this? Wouldn't you love all these poets to come and do a reading in your area? Wouldn't ya like to meet all the fabulous literary contributors to "Going Home to a Landscape" living in your area? Well come on then! Hook it up!