Flossing the Horse

It feels a little like waiting for dental work.

That's not an analogy I want to try to sustain. It takes me into areas too false or too true. For example, "If you'd been flossing, you wouldn't be afraid of the dentist."

In other words, maybe my poetic failings--specifically, that big, recent one, being rejected for the MFA program I'd dreamed about and actually worked toward--are entirely at my own doorstep.

I need to get back on the horse. (The horse that I ride to the dentist, I guess.) So I will do this. I will continue to run the risk of humiliating myself in public by, once again, being a very imperfect poet in front of everyone. I'm a little queasy just thinking of Wednesday.

If there are any other poets reading this: The April poem-a-day challenge at the blog Poetic Asides will not only continue this year, but feature judges, prizes, etc. More info here.