Happy Birthday, Blog

It's a couple of days early: my first post last year is dated April 9, the day after tomorrow. Here's part of what I said in it:

"I am creating this blog because I feel that the stories and images I find in my head are not given to me to keep for myself. To that end, I'm going to be posting some short fiction I've written, as well as pictures of some of my tapestry weaving."

True enough. But notice what's missing? That's right: Poetry. When I started this blog, poetry was the last thing on my mind. Oh, I'd made a few stabs at it-- who hasn't?-- mostly with pretty dreadful results. But I imagined myself becoming a writer of prose fiction before all else. Insh'allah, that may yet come to pass: the novel is on the back burner but it hasn't gone away, and I actually did get a piece of prose published this year ("Fish Story" at terrain.org).

I never thought of myself as being "the poetic type"-- neither, I think, did most of the people who knew me (old friends, if you're reading this, feel free to correct me). I used to not even like reading the stuff.

Now poems from this blog have been published in a handful of online zines, I'm in the process of submitting to a bunch of dead-tree journals, I've won at least one award (at Ya'Sou! Online), I've given a reading at a local coffee shop (not a Stirbucks!) and am gearing up for a second one in a few days. And the poetry just keeps coming.

Allahu Akbar.

So I give thanks to Allah, who makes all things possible. Thanks to Shaykh Taner Ansari, who fosters my connection to Allah. Thanks to my husband Todd, for his support and care. Thanks to Mushtaq, without whom I probably would never have thought of having a blog. To all my blog-sisters and blog-brothers (and Bobbe, who doesn't have a blog but ought to), for their friendship and encouragement. And to all my readers, both the commenters and the blurkers: These poems are for you, in God's name.