<div dir="ltr"><br>I've been a member of this network, Academy of American Poets, for several years. It includes a Poem a Day featuring a variety of poets, and on weekends selected ones of the "dead poets society". This particular poem really got to me this morning, especially as I read it while listening to the audio of the poet reading her own poem. You have to listen to it for its full impact I think. .Some poets just know how to read their own poetry and some don't. Enjoy, Milan<br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Poem-a-Day | Poets.org</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:poem-a-day@poets.org">poem-a-day@poets.org</a>></span><br>Date: Thu, Nov 20, 2025 at 3:08 AM<br>Subject: “Postures of Devotion” by Kimberly Blaeser<br>To: Milan <<a href="mailto:mellowmilan2@gmail.com">mellowmilan2@gmail.com</a>><br></div><br><br><div class="msg-8742122610473042975"><u></u>
<div>
<span class="m_-8742122610473042975mcnPreviewText" style="display:none;font-size:0px;line-height:0px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden">Before me Kawishiwi stretches— / river a palette of frost. Nearby</span>
<div style="display:none;max-height:0px;overflow:hidden">͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ </div><div style="display:none"><img src="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/open.php?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=7837b57b68&e=4369bc6895" height="1" width="1" style="display:none" alt=""></div>
<center>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" height="100%" width="100%" id="m_-8742122610473042975bodyTable" style="background-color:rgb(244,244,244)">
<tbody><tr>
<td class="m_-8742122610473042975bodyCell" align="center" valign="top">
<table id="m_-8742122610473042975root" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#f4f4f4" valign="top" align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:660px" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--12" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#00b4f0;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b165"><div></div><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="85%" style="border-collapse:separate;margin:0;vertical-align:top;max-width:85%;width:85%;height:auto" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0;margin:0" valign="top"><img alt="" src="https://mcusercontent.com/e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822/images/0af89578-5ede-51af-7969-9c541a54e926.jpeg" width="561" height="auto" style="display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:0" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceImage"></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div><div>
</div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-2"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b2"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:#00b4f0;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:13px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d2" style="width:100%"><h4 style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">November 20, 2025</span></span></strong></h4></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-151"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr style="display:none;font-size:0px;height:0px;width:0px"><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b151"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:#000000;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d151" style="width:100%"><h4 style="text-align:center"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=a8427b80ae&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">donate</span></span></strong></a></h4></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr style="display:none;font-size:0px;height:0px;width:0px"><td>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-164"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr style="display:none;font-size:0px;height:0px;width:0px"><td>
</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#f4f4f4" valign="top" align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:660px" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--14" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b13"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" height="20"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-14"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b14"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:0" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d14" style="width:100%"><h1><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=433f84cbf2&e=4369bc6895" style="color:#00b4f0" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size:40px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="font-weight:normal">Postures of Devotion</span></span></span></em></a></h1></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-15"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b15"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d15" style="width:100%"><p><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=6a13804caa&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif">Kimberly Blaeser</span></span></strong></a></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-216"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b216"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d216" style="width:100%"><p><sup><em>—after </em><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=44fb71767c&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><em>Kaveh Akbar</em></a><em>’s “</em><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=ed82788498&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><em>Poetry and Spirituality</em></a><em>”</em></sup></p><p><br></p><p>Before me Kawishiwi stretches— <br>river a palette of frost. Nearby <br>glazed berries dot the cranberry bushes, <br>melt into mirage. Icicles <br>too drip remembrance.</p><p><br></p><p>But metaphors of a world asleep <br>fail this place where even now <br>a pileated woodpecker beats a rhythm <br>of search—repeats, day by day deeper. <br>Watch while the leafless oak opens.</p><p><br></p><p>Beneath the protective skin <br>of tree, more hard-shelled beings— <br>bark beetles, exoskeletons of ants. <br>Hear the purr of wings landing, <br>jarring rattle as head recites hunger. </p><p><br></p><p>Watch the red blur of devotion— <br>manic as our soul, our alone. <br>Yet steadily each body maps resilience. <br>Where survival turns with planet, <br>chases the sun, wait is a courage</p><p><br></p><p>we name winter. Beneath ice <br>mink, muskrat, and otter swim, <br>stalk sleek shadows of fish. <br>Woodland dwellers find feast each season— <br>oh despair, make that your gospel.</p><p><br></p><p>Still, forest grandmothers—all roots <br>trunks and limbs—uphold their pact. <br>In rhythm of warm days and freezing <br>nights, tree roots suction, sap spills <br>through bark wounds. Then our tongues <br>sticky with spring—then, our song. </p><p><br></p><p>But, in January, we hold this promise. <br>While lake ice shifts, dark a murmur, <br>a creak. Now moonlight falls on snow crusts— <br>always where two touch, night glistens. <br>When distant wolf howls, answer comes.</p><p><br></p><p>Imagine the upturned muzzle, body <br>a triangle of sound. Hazel eyes <br>mere slits. This reverence—an ancient hunger <br>for pack. See, too, each black branch <br>limbing—bare, suspended in soon.</p><p><br></p><p>How pristine the listening posture <br>of pine marten, of fisher, of fox— <br>each body cocked. To pounce, to dive <br>nose-first into snow’s secrets, <br>to search winter tunnels for mice.</p><p><br></p><p>We, too, poised like supplicants— <br>rawness of the world a prayer <br>we read but cannot speak. Silence <br>an invocation, heavy as tobacco <br>sinking into snow—into earth’s altar.</p><p><br></p><p>Against moon’s brilliance, slit your eyes. <br>Let warmth of reflected light fill you; <br>that holy—that glance of tiny gods. <br>Make of your hands an empty globe, <br>your body a vessel taut as river.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-17"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b17"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:4px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d17" style="width:100%"><p style="line-height:0"><br></p><p style="line-height:0"><br></p><p class="m_-8742122610473042975mcePastedContent"><span style="color:rgb(112,112,112)"><span style="font-size:10px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif">Copyright © 2025 by Kimberly Blaeser. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on November 20, 2025, by the Academy of American Poets.</span></span></span></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b19"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent;width:100%" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerContainer"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top-width:2px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#c2c2c2;line-height:0;font-size:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerBlock"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-141"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b141"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:#000000;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:0" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d141" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-size:27px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">more</span></span></span><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:27px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"> </span></span></span><span style="color:#00b4f0"><span style="font-size:27px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">poetry</span></span></span></strong></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-152"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#000000;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b152"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" id="m_-8742122610473042975section_75716d97c77582850352351bd2f7ceab"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--16" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b-7"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--20" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b159"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="24" width="100%" style="table-layout:fixed" role="presentation"><colgroup><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-154" colspan="4" width="33.33333333333333%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-160"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b160"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d160" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:center"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=6b11e2ffc8&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">listen</span></strong></a></p><p style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">today’s poem</span></span></span></strong></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-156" colspan="4" width="33.33333333333333%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-161"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b161"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d161" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:center"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=a7d489b61a&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">read</span></strong></a></p><p style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">weekly newsletter</span></span></span></strong></p><p><br></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-158" colspan="4" width="33.33333333333333%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-163"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b163"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d163" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:center"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=1e2f858b6f&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">learn</span></strong></a></p><p style="text-align:center"><strong><span style="color:rgb(255,255,255)"><span style="font-size:13px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">literary seminars</span></span></span></strong></p><p><br></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b21"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent;width:100%" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerContainer"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top-width:2px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#c2c2c2;line-height:0;font-size:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerBlock"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-188"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b188"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d188" style="width:100%"><p><strong><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:27px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">about this</span></span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,180,240)"><span style="font-size:27px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"> poem</span></span></span></span></strong></p><p><br></p><p>“The phrase ‘postures of devotion’ stayed with me after I heard<a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=4296763c44&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"> Kaveh Akbar</a>’s talk ‘<a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=9317e5c303&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank">Poetry and Spirituality</a>.’ I think about different ways devotion can be embodied, and I filled this poem with the more-than-human beings—wolves, woodpeckers, pine martens, and maple trees—whose gestures express devotion; express, in their own way, reverence and faith. The poem invites an expansion of these spiritual terms and a closer look at the intricacies of the world. It attends to seasonal cycles and traces the way the everyday miraculous can inspire our own transformation. Here and elsewhere, I write in praise of the ‘tiny gods’ who also spill holiness.”<br><em>—Kimberly Blaeser</em></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b187"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent;width:100%" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerContainer"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top-width:2px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#c2c2c2;line-height:0;font-size:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerBlock"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-198"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b198"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" id="m_-8742122610473042975section_61c67ce4b48c10c3e46f6ce2c031336f"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--17" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b-9"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--21" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b203"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="24" width="100%" style="table-layout:fixed" role="presentation"><colgroup><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-200" colspan="4" width="33.33333333333333%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:0;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b199"><div></div><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=b40121dcb4&e=4369bc6895" style="display:block" target="_blank"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="85%" style="border-collapse:separate;margin:0;vertical-align:top;max-width:85%;width:85%;height:auto" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:#c2c2c2;border-radius:0;margin:0" valign="top"><img alt="Kimberly Blaeser" src="https://mcusercontent.com/e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822/images/2ab8eb1e-acf8-8a26-724b-41fcbb905dab.png" width="164.9" height="auto" style="display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:0" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceImage"></td></tr></tbody></table></a><div></div><div>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-202" colspan="8" width="66.66666666666666%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-201"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b201"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d201" style="width:100%"><p style="line-height:0"><br></p><p class="m_-8742122610473042975mcePastedContent"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=abb9215bc5&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank">Kimberly Blaeser</a> is an Indigenous poet and the author of six books of poems, including <em>Ancient Light: Poems</em> (University of Arizona Press, 2024). A former Wisconsin poet laureate, Blaeser is an MFA faculty member for the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe and an emeritus professor of English and Indigenous studies at University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. In 2020, she founded the literary organization Indigenous Nations Poets (In-Na-Po), and, in November 2021, served as a Guest Editor for Poem-a-Day. Blaeser lives in Burlington, Wisconsin.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="left" id="m_-8742122610473042975b217"><div></div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonContainer"><tbody><tr class="m_-8742122610473042975mceStandardButton"><td style="background-color:#00b4f0;border-radius:0;text-align:center" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButton"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=331296dbb1&e=4369bc6895" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonLink" style="background-color:#00b4f0;border-radius:0;border:2px solid #00b4f0;color:#ffffff;display:block;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;padding:16px 28px;text-decoration:none;text-align:center;direction:ltr;letter-spacing:0px" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">more at poets.org</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonContainer"><tbody><tr>
</tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b225"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent;width:100%" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerContainer"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top-width:2px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#c2c2c2;line-height:0;font-size:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerBlock"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-218"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b218"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" id="m_-8742122610473042975section_5d2dbd84eccfcaf7aacf12d957d0de63"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--18" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b-11"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--22" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b224"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="24" width="100%" style="table-layout:fixed" role="presentation"><colgroup><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-220" colspan="4" width="33.33333333333333%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:0;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b219"><div></div><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=f3d71c95a9&e=4369bc6895" style="display:block" target="_blank"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="85%" style="border-collapse:separate;margin:0;vertical-align:top;max-width:85%;width:85%;height:auto" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:#c2c2c2;border-radius:0;margin:0" valign="top"><img alt="Ancient Light" src="https://mcusercontent.com/e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822/images/166c03ca-f751-d214-6c02-715f4a66322f.png" width="164.9" height="auto" style="display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:0" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceImage"></td></tr></tbody></table></a><div></div><div>
</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-223" colspan="8" width="66.66666666666666%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-221"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b221"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d221" style="width:100%"><p><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=78a8138d65&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><em>Ancient Light</em></a><br>(University of Arizona Press, 2024) </p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="left" id="m_-8742122610473042975b222"><div></div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonContainer"><tbody><tr class="m_-8742122610473042975mceStandardButton"><td style="background-color:#00b4f0;border-radius:0;text-align:center" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButton"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=8e12365ff4&e=4369bc6895" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonLink" style="background-color:#00b4f0;border-radius:0;border:2px solid #00b4f0;color:#ffffff;display:block;font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;padding:16px 28px;text-decoration:none;text-align:center;direction:ltr;letter-spacing:0px" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">buy the book</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonContainer"><tbody><tr>
</tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b213"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent;width:100%" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerContainer"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top-width:2px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#c2c2c2;line-height:0;font-size:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerBlock"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-38"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b38"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d38" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:left"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:27px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">related</span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,180,240)"><span style="font-size:27px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"> poems</span></span></span></strong></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-44"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:4px;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b44"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" id="m_-8742122610473042975section_daea5792c6449bffb778cf86cf5a47f2"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--13" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b-5"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--19" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b43"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="24" width="100%" style="table-layout:fixed" role="presentation"><colgroup><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"><col span="1" width="8.333333333333332%"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-40" colspan="6" width="50%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-left:15px" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-39"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b39"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:#f4f4f4;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:28px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:10px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d39" style="width:100%"><p style="line-height:1.25;text-align:center"><strong><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">“</span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif">The Head of the Cottonmouth</span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">” by </span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif">Roger Reeves</span></span></span></strong></p><p style="line-height:1.25;text-align:center"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=49d3878dfe&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">read more</span></span></strong></a></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId-42" colspan="6" width="50%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-left:15px" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-41"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b41"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:#f4f4f4;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d41" style="width:100%"><p style="line-height:1.25;text-align:center"><br></p><p style="line-height:1.25;text-align:center"><strong><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">“</span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif">Habilitas</span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">” by </span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif">Rodrigo Toscano</span></span></span></strong></p><p style="line-height:1.25;text-align:center"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=2ebb5689fb&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">r</span></span></strong></a><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=cdad198c24&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><strong><span style="font-size:15px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">ead more</span></span></strong></a></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b47"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent;width:100%" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerContainer"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top-width:2px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#c2c2c2;line-height:0;font-size:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerBlock"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-48"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b48"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d48" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:left"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:28px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">this month’s</span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,180,240)"><span style="font-size:28px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"> guest editor</span></span></span></strong></p><p class="m_-8742122610473042975mcePastedContent"><br></p><p class="m_-8742122610473042975mcePastedContent"><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Thanks to </span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Tacey M. Atsitty</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">, author of</span></span></span></span><em><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"> </span></span></span></span></em><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=e7c36aaedc&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">(At) Wrist</span></span></span></em></a><em><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"> </span></span></span></span></em><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">(University of Wisconsin Press, 2023)</span></span><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">, who curated Poem-a-Day for this month’s weekdays. </span></span></span></span><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=0d639446ee&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Read or listen to a Q&A</span></span></span></a><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"> about Atsitty’s curatorial approach and find out more about our </span></span></span></span><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=5791a641e3&e=4369bc6895" style="color:rgb(0,180,240);word-break:break-word;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;direction:ltr;font-family:Georgia,Times,"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:16px;font-variant-ligatures:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255)" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(0,180,240)"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">Guest Editors for the year</span></span></span></span></a><span style="color:rgb(68,68,68)"><span style="font-size:16px"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)">.</span></span></span></span></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:20px;padding-bottom:20px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b184"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="background-color:transparent;width:100%" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerContainer"><tbody><tr><td style="min-width:100%;border-top-width:2px;border-top-style:solid;border-top-color:#c2c2c2;line-height:0;font-size:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceDividerBlock"> </td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-186"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b186"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:24px;padding-right:24px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d186" style="width:100%"><p style="text-align:left"><strong><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="font-size:28px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">support</span></span></span><span style="color:rgb(0,180,240)"><span style="font-size:28px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif"> poem</span></span></span><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:28px"><span style="font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif">-a-day</span></span></span></strong></p><p><br></p><p><span style="color:#444444"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">“Poem-a-Day is brilliant because it makes space in the everyday racket for something as meaningful as a poem.” —Tracy K. Smith<br><br>If this series is meaningful to you, </span></span><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=07bcc9ed3f&e=4369bc6895" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">join the community of Poem-a-Day supporters by making a gift today</span></a><span style="color:#444444"><span style="font-family:Georgia,Times,'Times New Roman',serif">. Now serving more than 320,000 daily subscribers, this publication is only possible thanks to the contributions of readers like you.</span></span></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:transparent;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b49"><div></div><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonContainer"><tbody><tr class="m_-8742122610473042975mceStandardButton"><td style="background-color:#ff0f5b;border-radius:0;text-align:center" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButton"><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=311e1762f7&e=4369bc6895" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonLink" style="background-color:#ff0f5b;border-radius:0;border:2px solid #ff0f5b;color:#ffffff;display:block;font-family:Arial,'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:19px;font-weight:bold;font-style:normal;padding:12px 28px;text-decoration:none;text-align:center;direction:ltr;letter-spacing:0px" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">donate</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" role="presentation" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceButtonContainer"><tbody><tr>
</tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#f4f4f4" valign="top" align="center"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="max-width:660px" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#ffffff" valign="top"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--15" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#f4f4f4;padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975b55"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation" id="m_-8742122610473042975section_db4c1c6910f5869faaf139bfd57977a6" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceFooterSection"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#f4f4f4;background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="12" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0" valign="top" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumn" id="m_-8742122610473042975mceColumnId--3" colspan="12" width="100%"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:#00b4f0;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px;padding-right:24px;padding-left:24px;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b52"><div></div><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=c9bebc6998&e=4369bc6895" style="display:block" target="_blank"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate;margin:0;vertical-align:top;max-width:130px;width:100%;height:auto" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0;margin:0" valign="top"><img alt="Logo" src="https://mcusercontent.com/e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822/images/46b51da2-d228-4429-a66d-631d5508a99a.png" width="130" height="auto" style="display:block;max-width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:0" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceLogo"></td></tr></tbody></table></a><div></div><div>
</div></td></tr><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0" valign="top" id="m_-8742122610473042975gutterContainerId-53"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" style="border-collapse:separate" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-top:0;padding-bottom:0;padding-right:0;padding-left:0;border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b53"><table width="100%" style="border:0;background-color:transparent;border-radius:0;border-collapse:separate"><tbody><tr><td style="padding-left:16px;padding-right:16px;padding-top:12px;padding-bottom:12px" class="m_-8742122610473042975mceTextBlockContainer"><div class="m_-8742122610473042975mceText" id="m_-8742122610473042975d53" style="display:inline-block;width:100%"><p><em><span style="font-size:12px">Copyright (C) 2025 The Academy of American Poets. All rights reserved.</span></em><br><span style="font-size:12px">
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website.
</span><br><br><span style="font-size:12px">Our mailing address is:</span><br><span style="font-size:12px">
The Academy of American Poets
75 Maiden Lane
STE #901
New York, NY 10038
USA
</span><br><br><span style="font-size:12px">Want to change how you receive these emails?</span><br><span style="font-size:12px">You can </span><a href="https://the-academy-of-american-poets.mailchimpsites.com/manage/preferences?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=0e208b88ae&e=4369bc6895&c=7837b57b68" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12px">update your preferences</span></a><span style="font-size:12px"> or </span><a href="https://poets.us20.list-manage.com/unsubscribe?u=e329a0cb6f08842f08a05d822&id=0e208b88ae&t=b&e=4369bc6895&c=7837b57b68" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12px">unsubscribe</span></a></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td style="border:0;border-radius:0" valign="top" align="center" id="m_-8742122610473042975b-2"><table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody><tr><td style="background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="24" width="100%" role="presentation"><tbody></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
</div></div></div><div><br clear="all"></div><div><br></div><span class="gmail_signature_prefix">-- </span><br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Mellow Milan Hamilton<div>80 North Center Street</div><div>Redlands, CA 92373</div><div>Phone: (909) 943-1667</div><div>email: <a href="mailto:mellowmilan2@gmail.com" target="_blank">mellowmilan2@gmail.com</a></div></div></div></div>