As with most things in life that call us to pour into them, poetry occasionally rewards my efforts. But there are no guarantees…only the remote chance that by devoting thousands of dark hours of consistent hard work, by opening myself to poetry of those who surround me and those who came before, by acceptance of the judgement of my peers, and by honest self assessment can I ever hope to inch closer to improving my craft.
For what it’s worth, I promise
I am giving my best effort
to becoming a better poet.
I published my first poetry collection in 2023.
The poems included here are
a few of the ones that I’ve written since then.
“I hope that you don’t mind that at times my poems are written in rhyme and meter and sometimes they come out as free verse. Many people like to “pick a side.” I love all forms of poetry. Sometimes the added challenge of fitting thoughts into a long-established structure, like an homage to those who came before, is what feeds my poetic soul. Other times my pencil seems to scratch across the page with its own free will.”
~ Linda Rittenhouse
From the foreword to
“A Girl, Her Peeps, Mother Nature, A Horse, and What the Heck is Love?”