WATERMARK

a poet’s notebook

Established 02004

July 27, 2026

Ordination

A home altar arranged on a distressed turquoise wall shelf: a crystal-draped candlestick, a tin-framed Mexican retablo of the Madonna and child, and a small dark seated figure. Above hangs a beaded folk-art picture in a black frame with a dreamcatcher and feathered arrow; a metal mask with feathers hangs to the right, and a winged figurine dangles below. Sacred objects from several traditions gathered in one array. Alt text by Claude, who cannot see, for others who cannot see. — **Dream Altar,** photo by sb.

I dream:

Three monks are to be ordained.

The first is great in loving-kindness. The second is great in their attempt to achieve loving-kindness.

Then there is me. There is nothing great about me. I am to be ordained only to permit me to sing with the choir.

I wonder if poetry might be singing.

dreams, Personal, poetry

Artificial Intelligence

I do not use AI to write. For me, writing is thinking, and I prefer to do my own. If/when I post anything here that I suspect or know to be AI generated, I will tell you.

Poems

Please do not assume that I am the speaker/ subject of my poems.

In these times of creative nonfiction and fictionalized memoirs, I think of the poem itself as true fiction: it is most likely not factual, but it must be true.

It is likely to be — it is best if it is — a truth I did not know before I wrote, and may not understand even then.

A poem is my way of discovering (dis-covering) what I feel; sometimes, what I think — but it is not necessarily biographical.

Ordination

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