Saturday Thought: Friendship and Poetry

This little quote brings to mind the role our
friends play in sparking poetry in our lives:

"I don't really feel my poems are mine at all.
I didn't create them out of nothing; I owe
them to my relations with other people."
--Robert Graves

Four people have been major catalysts for
my poetry. First, my dear wife Mary, whose
garden and daily love spur my poetry. Second,
my Dad, who has written poetry for the past
50 years, gave me the poetry gene to begin with.
Third, my two lifelong friends: Derk Janssen
in Prescott, AZ, and Dan Shimp in Santa Fe, NM,
have been major sources of inspiration and
courage for me to write poetry.

Robert Graves is so right that we owe our
poetry to others. Thank you friends!