To The Eagle:

There is goodness and beauty all around us, yet we grow accustomed to it and sometimes fail to notice or feel gratitude. That is why I wish to extend my thanks to The Wahkiakum County Eagle for setting aside a full page each January to share poetry written by the residents of this community. The annual poetry corner invites all of us to take a break from the discord and unrest in the world and redirect our focus. It gives us an opportunity to find commonality, to see that we are not that different from each other.

It lifted my spirits to read A Single Stone in a Creek Bed, Autumn Fir and Birch, The Favorite, The Impermanence of An Instant (and every other poem – too many to list!). What an abundance of riches – to have so many observant and gifted writers for neighbors. I hope others will decide to try their hand at writing a poem for next year’s poetry issue. It doesn’t have to rhyme or follow any structural rules. It only needs to reflect one person’s unique view at a specific point in time.

Like all art, poetry is subjective. No poem resonates with everyone. But when a poem speaks to you, you feel it. The poetry corner in our newspaper creates a yearly chance to come together without judgement to celebrate nature and what it means to be human. That is truly a gift we can all use.

Dayle Olson

Cathlamet