National Poetry Writing Month One

Prompt

How To Walk Your Husband

Tell him you must mail your taxes today
Invite him along to the grocery store
With the customer service counter that
Doubles as a neighborhood post office

He ought to push past the sneezing sniffles
Switch off March madness, add warmer layers
Expect for the favored thin blue mittens
Which put less fabric between your held hands.

When It Feels Like the Planet Is Trying To Get Rid Of Us

Dammed

How tranquil the circuitous creek,
Coursing through the cul de sac backyards,
Fondly considered by former kids,
Who collected its dank polliwogs,
But in the depths of its long-held springs,
An aggrieved hatred crawls through the mud,
Despised the arrogant settlers,
Believing they could conquer a swamp.

2020 UMC General Conference: More of the Same

First United Methodist Church of Iowa City is holding a meeting next Sunday between members of the youth group and members of the Reconciling Ministries committee.  The youth want to share a statement they've written following the anti-LGBTQ vote at the 2019 UMC General Conference Special Session.  The Reconciling committee wants to meet and discuss next steps.  (I don't know if they will be steps to stay and fight or steps to walk away.)

I've committed to following efforts to create a progressive Methodist denomination and reporting them back to the group.  So far all I can report is the "wait and see what Judicial Council rules" response I'm finding everywhere.

I will also be sharing what the 2020 General Conference delegate distribution will be:

Southeastern	21.11%
Congo	17.63%
South Central	11.83%
North Central	10.21%
West Africa	9.98%
Northeastern	9.74%
Philippines	6.03%
Africa Central	4.64%
Western	3.02%
Northern Europe & Eurasia	2.32%
Central & Southern Europe	1.62%
Concordat	1.16%
Germany	0.70%

By my calculation, 28% of the delegates will come from progressive jurisdictions.  Please let me know before the March 24 meeting if my calculation is off.

Source: Here

iHearIC Interview

The organizer of the iHearIC concert series also hosts a radio show on the University of Iowa student station.  He invited me on the show to read my poetry and to discuss the creative process.