I’m not sure where I first heard of The Sealey Challenge, but I found this information when I Googled it. The Sealey Challenge is a public challenge to read one poetry book each day in August. I decided to give it a shot this year. I received some good advice a while ago that if you want to write poetry you should read poetry. That sounds obvious, but taking on a challenge that pushes me to do what I should do is helpful.
My current list is as follows:
Mary Oliver: A Thousand Mornings (I’ve read this one before and it’s a comfort read.)
Pádraig Ó Tuama: Poetry Unbound (Reading a chapter a night)
Jim Kacian: Long After (This is a visual haiku masterpiece!)
Spirits of the Gods by John Warner Smith, Illustrated by Dennis Paul Williams
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman (I borrowed a line and wrote an anniversary poem here)
Tap Dancing on the Roof (Sijo Poems) by Linda Sue Park
Wish
For someone to read a poem
again, and again, and then,having lifted it from the page
to brain–the easy part–cradle it on the longer trek
Linda Sue Park, from Tap Dancing on the Roof
from brain all the way to heart.
What is Goodbye? by Nikki Grimes, Illustrated by Raul Colon (Novel-in-verse told by two siblings whose older brother died)
The Watcher by Nikki Grimes, Illustrated by Bryan Collier (A book of brilliantly written golden shovel poems using the lines of Psalm 121 while telling the story of two students who learn to overcome their rivalry.)
I made a trip to our public library and found few live poets there. The children’s section was better. I have an idea to set up a meeting with the head librarian to state a case for live poets. They should at least have the books from our state poets laureate as well as the national ones. I have a mission to change that!
I recently visited the newly renovated Roy House on the campus of ULL. The Center for Louisiana Studies has done a beautiful job of this old house, but the best part is the book store. The grand opening is next week on August 16th. I got a preview when I met with the editor and publisher to discuss an upcoming book. (Stay tuned for that news.) I bought John Warner Smith’s book of poetry written to Dennis Paul Williams’ artwork. John Warner Smith is the new director at The Shadows on the Teche in New Iberia. He was poet laureate of Louisiana from 2019-2021.
Have you ever read a poem that just grabbed you in the gut? That you had to read again and again, not to understand, but to absorb it into your soul (like Linda Sue explains in her poem Wish above)? This poem Survivor by John Warner Smith did that for me.
Reading poetry is watering the fertile valleys inspiring me to be the best poet I can be, not just for me, but for an audience who needs poetry to live a richer and more compassionate life.
Reflections on the Teche 
You are really rocking the Sealey Challenge this year! I love that you will advocate for more Living Poets at the library — you go, Girl!
Margaret, thank you for sharing so much here. The beautiful “Survivor” poem–I can see it is one for touching deeply. I appreciate what you said about your library too. I feel I am so new to poetry that I am not good at distinguishing yet. I am fortunate that our library seems to have a lot of contemporary and diverse poets. I have gone in and checked out a stack twice for the Sealey Challenge. Later I will look at our poet laureates and consider who really is on the shelves, as you have done.
The Watcher sounds like a fascinating book. I’m going to look for that one.
Margaret, Survivor is intense. I too wanted to reread it several times. Thank you for sharing and for striving to being the best poet you can be!
So much goodness in this post, Margaret. Thank you.
Thank you for your ongoing efforts to bring more poetry into the world! Beautiful post, Margaret.
Oh, my goodness…those lines. They hit so close to home. I know survivors. Those lines…my goodness.
Your work to bring more of the Louisiana poets into the library is so great, Margaret! I love reading you may have a book coming! I have many of the books you shared, much to adore in them. And I love the “hope” you share in “Survivor”. Thanks for all the goodness!
Thanks for this post, and especially for your list of books. I need some new titles. And yes to your conversation with the librarian. Our new librarian is a conundrum. Sigh…
I’m in awe of all of you participating in the Sealey Challenge. Thank you for sharing your book choices. It adds to my list of “want to reads”!
“Survivor” is powerful. And yes, love Linda Sue Park’s words. Also love that you’re on a mission to get the books of living poets into your library. Yes!
So glad you’re doing the Sealey Challenge. I did it last year for the first time and really enjoyed it.
“Reading poetry is watering the fertile valleys” Yes, yes, yes to this, Margaret!
Margaret, I am excited to hear your news of a new book. Your last statement about writing poetry not only for yourself but “for an audience who needs poetry to live a richer and more compassionate life”, is soulful. It is poetry that helps people pause and reflect. Next weekend my older grands will stay over and I hope to spend some time in the nearby library with them.
Thanks for carrying the poetry torch and spreading it around more–for this rich post, and many congrats on the forthcoming book!
Your poem selections are powerful, Margaret. Linda Sue Park’s “Wish” is the hope for all poems and John Warner Smith’s “Survivor” directly reflects that hope realized. Thank you for sharing his work.
You are a champion for poetry, Margaret. I love how you visited the library and are going to make a case for more live poets. I also ascribe to reading more poetry to be a better poet. Although I am not doing the Sealy Challenge this year, I am constantly reading poetry.