I received a letter from an old friend yesterday–a literal letter. It was such a treat and made me realize how much, in the age of email and facebook, I miss getting actual handwritten letters. What about you? Do you miss getting a letter in the mail? What was the last piece of real mail that you received?

I think this comment illustrates beautifully the power of books (or poetry, or art, in general) to help us heal, empower and transform.

The poem of the week is Ode to Chocolate by Barbara Crooker. If this doesn’t get your taste buds going, I don’t know what will.

The poem of the week is Trust, by Thomas R. Smith. When I was going through a very difficult time in my life a few years ago, someone I respected a great deal told me to, “Trust the process.” I did and I still do. And I would add: May we all show up at our intended destinations.

A poem to celebrate the new year by Alicia Suskin Ostriker.

Poem of the Week — And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou

School is about to start again, which marks the end of summer for a lot of us, but I wanted to offer up one more taste of summer before we say goodbye to another year. Do you remember catching lightning bugs? Can you still hear the sound of cicadas where you live? What is your favorite summertime memory?

The poem of the week is by Anne Porter and is entitled music.

The poem of the week is by Naomi Shihab Nye, an American poet. It was sent to me by a dear friend and I take great pleasure in passing it on to you.   May we all have a week where our happiness floats.   SO MUCH HAPPINESS   It is difficult to know what to do [...]

The poem of the week comes from Hokusai (1760-1849), a famous Japanese artist.