Words to live by

For Christmas Sara Zarr gave me a lovely, inspiring little book called THE POCKET MUSE by Monica Wood. The bit below really speaks to me because I think it's so wise--and also because I love poetry, although I don't write it. I especially love the poems of my friend of many fabulous years, Lisa Bickmore. I always tell her she's my favorite poet in the history of the universe, along with W. B. Yeats. (She's cuter, though. Funnier, too.)

"There is a special throne in heaven for poets, who labor in obscurity. The rest of us harbor an unexpressed hope for fame and glory. You might be tempted to write for a market. You might be tempted to ride the crest of a trend. That kind of writing is about as stable and fulfilling as day trading. Write what interests you. Write what frightens you. Write what thrills you. Take a cue from the poets, bless their underfunded little hearts."