Why I Write
for Denise
I write to hear my thoughts beneath the world’s thoughts. I write because Austen, because Morrison, because García Márquez,
because anonymous, anonymous, anonymous, anonymous.
Because my friend’s mother has tested negative. Because, for today, Janet is alive. I write because God is in the ink. I write because my students write and I want to be a part of that courage. I write because suddenly I live down the street from the Rocky Mountains,
and I write to figure out how I got here.
I write because I miss the sea.
Curator’s Note: I decided to relaunch the “Why I Write” series in late fall of 2022 and launched into action emailing invitations in December. Maureen was the first person to respond. I regret that I was not able to resurrect "Why I Write" earlier in the 2023. The world lost Maureen in August 2023. Maureen was unbelievably kind and generous to me, as she was to many poets. I’ll always be grateful to her. I'm sad that we won't be treated to new poems by Maureen, but I'm thankful for the poems she gifted us throughout her career.