April 2021
EDITOR'S NOTE
Dear Villagers,
Happy April, my dear friends. Because I have a low tolerance for practical jokes, you won't find any "April Fool's" nonsense in my note, or in the April issue of Verse-Virtual. I would like to focus instead on the seemingly universal sense of renewal and rebirth that comes with Spring, starting in March and continuing through April. According to the most complete calendar of religious holidays that I could find, all of the world's major religions have one or more days of religious observance between the first day of Spring and the last day of April.
In the U.S., we are feeling some sense of relief as the number of new COVID infections drops and the number of vaccines being given increases. There is a sense of hope that maybe, just maybe, there will be an end to the havoc that this unexpected pandemic has wrought. We will be watching over the summer to see how effective our efforts are, especially when weighed against those who still value personal convenience over the lives and health of others.
This month's collection of poems has given me much to think about. I read each poem as it came in, which gave me a general sense of which poems should be included in this issue, though I rarely make a final decision on first read. There are, however, some poems that resonate so deeply that they must be included, must be shared, and I know that immediately. I have thought about how many people submitted, and about who didn't submit this month. I know some of your personal struggles and challenges, and I am amazed that you take time to send me poems. Or worry, when you don't send anything.
I have thought carefully about how to respond to those who didn't meet all the guidelines for submissions, but who did well just to send something in. And a couple of times, was saddened by a response that sounded like there was an expectation that everything they submitted should have been accepted. I have thought often about how to support you, the Verse-Virtual community, not just with your poetry, but in your lives generally. I see my role as being more than "just an editor" who says yes or no to your writing. I sincerely hope that my notes give you some encouragement and sense of not being alone in your difficult times. I know I get that back from you, in your poems and in your emails to me. Thank you for embracing kindness.
Here's to Spring and a better year than the last one was!
Happy April, my dear friends. Because I have a low tolerance for practical jokes, you won't find any "April Fool's" nonsense in my note, or in the April issue of Verse-Virtual. I would like to focus instead on the seemingly universal sense of renewal and rebirth that comes with Spring, starting in March and continuing through April. According to the most complete calendar of religious holidays that I could find, all of the world's major religions have one or more days of religious observance between the first day of Spring and the last day of April.
In the U.S., we are feeling some sense of relief as the number of new COVID infections drops and the number of vaccines being given increases. There is a sense of hope that maybe, just maybe, there will be an end to the havoc that this unexpected pandemic has wrought. We will be watching over the summer to see how effective our efforts are, especially when weighed against those who still value personal convenience over the lives and health of others.
This month's collection of poems has given me much to think about. I read each poem as it came in, which gave me a general sense of which poems should be included in this issue, though I rarely make a final decision on first read. There are, however, some poems that resonate so deeply that they must be included, must be shared, and I know that immediately. I have thought about how many people submitted, and about who didn't submit this month. I know some of your personal struggles and challenges, and I am amazed that you take time to send me poems. Or worry, when you don't send anything.
I have thought carefully about how to respond to those who didn't meet all the guidelines for submissions, but who did well just to send something in. And a couple of times, was saddened by a response that sounded like there was an expectation that everything they submitted should have been accepted. I have thought often about how to support you, the Verse-Virtual community, not just with your poetry, but in your lives generally. I see my role as being more than "just an editor" who says yes or no to your writing. I sincerely hope that my notes give you some encouragement and sense of not being alone in your difficult times. I know I get that back from you, in your poems and in your emails to me. Thank you for embracing kindness.
Here's to Spring and a better year than the last one was!