My First Sale of the Season

It's a funny thing, but I often hear from editors on Sunday afternoon.  I suppose most editors are like the rest of us:  always catching up on the week by working weekends.  And as I write this on Sunday afternoon, I am sitting "home alone" because my wife is at school catching up on paperwork and my son is, once again, on his way to college.

But here it is . . . January 6 . . . and I have already made my first literary sale of 2013.  This time from an editor who wants to publish some of my ekphrastic poetry (a term in learned in 2012, by the way).  Ekphrastic poems are those written about works of art . . . .

I've written quite a bit of ekphrastic poetry through the years, but I just thought I was writing poems about paintings, sculptures, and drawings . . . I didn't realize there was a term for this. 

But, at any rate, the contract is in the mail and a check is forthcoming . . . I'm talking actual cash here (which is just as good as money, I hear).  I can buy a ham sandwich. 

And, although it's not in the ekphrastic spirit, I did peek at my poetry journal for 2012 and noted this little four-liner from a year ago.  Don't remember writing it, but then what can I recall from 12 months back?

This poem, written on January 19, 2012 indicates this was the first snowfall of the season . . . one year ago.
First Snow

Now here is a wonder:  a day of first snow
In mid-January winter, mild--
Weeks past the wilt of our mistletoe
As if God has smiled.