Adieu

I've decided to say goodbye to my blog 'Ivy is here'.

I think it's about time I do something different. I've maintained some kind of blog since I left Australia in 2002, which makes me feel positively Methuselahian.

Here's to a new chapter. I hope I can channel some of what I've learnt into other prose writing. And of course, I will keep writing poetry. I still want to see how far I can go.

My deepest gratitude to you, my friends, who've been reading all along the way. Thank you for your blogs and your words and for the sense of community you've given me in this digital space. May your writing angels, your lares and penates look after you.

And I would like to wish you the gift of patience and persistence, which is something I'd wish for myself.

Love and hugs,
Ivy
Mortal

Be anonymous

I leave for Seoul on the Poetry Tour this Friday, which is not very long now. It's funny how a lot of things get whittled away, especially the closer to a deadline one gets.

For a while now, I've been thinking of winding down this blog, mostly because it feels a little too exposed for my benefit and that I've been repeating myself. Often I catch myself wondering, 'Have I said that before?' And the one thing I would hate to happen with any of my writing is to get into a rut.

When I first started it, I had the idea that it might help others in the same boat as I was, who were starting out on this writing journey and didn't know where to set their compass.

I didn't realise I'd get more and more hermetic as time went on. I do enjoy setting my thoughts about writing poetry down in this virtual space but I also want to be able to do so without feeling as if I was on show. I dislike that this blog can be found on search engines but I don't think an invitation-only blog would give me that sense of freedom I know only anonymity can provide.

In the near future, my website will probably add a blog element to it, which will be more news-oriented rather than chatty, so that will be visible, but of course that's not enough, if I want to continue articulating my thoughts on poetry and writing.

That said, I deeply value the friendships I've made in this space and for that, I am grateful. The occasional conversations via comments is my highlight.

I thought I'd take the time away during this trip to gather my thoughts about what I'll do next. I'm very tempted to start afresh and be anonymous.

I just think I need to do this.

So that's it, my blog-sistential crisis.