Soothers

cough & sore throat soother, poetry workshops, & more

I watched the documentary American Symphony recently, about musicians and composer John Batiste. In it he says, “We don’t love music because it sounds good. We’re love music because it sounds inevitable.”

This is what we love about poetry too. We love when words delight us, surprise us, but most of all, we love when the words poem are so tightly stacked, so inevitable, that we cannot imagine any other word there. We cannot wiggle the words apart. They have found their home.

2.

Everyone seems to be getting sick again, so it’s time for my annual sharing of my favorite throat and cough soother.

My favorite herbal remedies are the ones that use the ingredients most kitchens have, and this is firmly in that category.

I sometimes make a fancier version where I melt the butter, then add honey, and a little lemon juice or vinegar. Which is lovely.

But when it’s the middle of the night and your young person wakes up crying or coughing and needs relief, just grab a spoon with some butter and honey.

This is a supreme ally for tickly coughs, spastic coughs, and sore hurting throats. It coats, soothes, and heals the tissues. You can use it anytime but I think it really shines at night- take just before bed, and don’t drink or eat anything after, since you want the protective coating on your throat tissue.

3.

New year new poems. There’s a lot happening for me this winter. I Will Write a Love Poem came out in December and my chapbook Rupture launches on January 9!

I’m teaching an online workshop about how to put together your own poetry chapbook and how to submit it for publication—link here to join us.

And if you live in the CT River Valley, I’m doing a generative poetry workshop with Looky Here. Let’s write poems together!

Finally, I’m having a reading at the Smith College Boutelle-Day Poetry Center on Jan 31, to celebrate the launch of Rupture. So mark your calendars 💜

Adrie