Pantoum No. 1 - I start here, I start now
This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Without knowing where or how to start, I start here, I start now.
Starting the daily walk, ready to impart a cheerful greeting
As I was setting up my newsletters, I thought I would give you a preview here, of a poem that, I think, establishes the tone of what is to come.
I wrote this poem in Spanish originally, in December 2022. It is a pantoum. If you don’t know what a pantoum is, you will see here, the repetitive structure. (See the English version farther below):
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published
Failed to render LaTeX expression — no expression found
My confession is: I don’t exactly speak Spanish fluidly, just so you know. I am an American in the middle of a city with a fair amount of Spanish speakers, but they don’t correct me much (which is probably good, lest I get discouraged) - so mistakes are bound to be embedded here and there. The poem, however, I think is grammatically correct. Hopefully. If not, it’s poetry, right? And I meant to say it that way (wink wink).
(Keep scrolling below for the Poem in English).
If interested, Look! Here is another subscription button:
but in reality this button above is for you to subscribe to Rosemary DeSena (my main author page).
Here is the button for you to subscribe to the English publication, Life is a Poem:
Here is the link for you to subscribe to the Spanish publication La Vida es un Poema:
Additionally, as a caveat, because Substack makes its money by subscriptions (and not ads, thank God) … and so a portion of any subscription I eventually earn feeds the I-Will-Not-Flood-You-With-Ads machine, please note:
if I discover a “buy me coffee” (i.e. one-time tip) button, I will add it, only for the option. Because who doesn’t like coffee? In San Francisco it is an impossibility. And that is where I currently reside.
For now, and for the long term future, you can view everything for free!
(I thank you for reading me. Please come back!)
OR
if you want to support my monthly or annual coffee habit, which in turn fuels my poetry and prose and pays for a seat at the local café (where the writings will be written and life will be lived, and both shared with you)
THEN
you are most welcome to subscribe to me as a paid Monthly Subscriber, Annual Subscriber, or Founding Member subscriber.
I do have to confess now that there is no content behind a paywall yet, making a subscription a tantalizing solution to not being able to read all of the posts. Because currently you can read them all.
I may soon add some perks for paying subscribers that do not necessarily involve a paywall, but I am still dreaming up those possibilities, so stay tuned.
And now, the English version, the one you have been waiting for:
Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published
Failed to render LaTeX expression — no expression found
Tell me, now that you know how you know me, how do I know you?
Stay tuned for the next episode where your intrepid poet learns to toggle the language that appears on the buttons (for the Spanish readers), figure out where all the pretty fonts that people are using are, and successfully embed an audio recording of herself reciting her own poetry, in addition to other additional important things needed to be successful here.
The daily walk in reverse, up a very steep hill.
Again, thanks for reading me and making your way through this Substack Under Construction Post.
Until soon!
This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.