Welcome to Glad Errand, a poetry blog. The name comes from Longfellow’s poem, “The Poets.”
O ye dead poets who are living still
Immortal in your verse, though life be fled,
And ye, O living poets who are dead
Though ye are living, if neglect can kill,
Tell me if in the darkest hours of ill,
With drops of anguish falling fast and red
From the sharp crown of thorns upon your head
Ye were not glad your errand to fulfill?
Yes; for the gift and ministry of Song
Have something in them so divinely sweet,
It can assuage the bitterness of wrong;
Not in the clamour of the crowded street,
Not in the shouts and plaudits of the throng,
But in ourselves, are triumph and defeat.
I have been writing poems for many years and many have found their way into print. I’ve lately learned that since poems come out of the aether, it makes a great deal of sense to return them to that medium.
You may copy and share any of my poems that you find on this blog, but please leave a comment to tell me what you’ve done. And Heaven help you if you publish any of my poems under–or over–your own name. The goblins will get you.
GladErrand 
Hi Mary,
I’m in the process of compiling an anthology entitled “At the Still Point: A Guide to Prayer in Ordinary Time” (Paraclete Press, Sept 2011), and I’m wondering if I might include a couple of your poems. Specifically, I’d like to publish “Not Like a Dove” and “Cathedral Windows.”
Paraclete Press is a small religious house which publishes poetry, fiction, and resources for the spiritual life. My book is an anthology of excerpts from classic and contemporary fiction and poetry, organized by theme, for each of the twenty-nine weeks in the Christian season of Pentecost. Unfortunately, my budget for reprint fees is maxed out at this point, so I will not be able to pay you. But the poems will appear alongside some of the great literary works of faith–and in fact, “Not Like a Dove” would be the first reading in the book. And I’d be happy to include your blog address or any other info you wish on the acknowledgments page.
It is my hope that by focusing on the literary, rather than on the “devotional” or spiritual, readers will find their imaginations nurtured and perhaps discover an author/poet with whom they were previously unfamiliar.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Best,
Sarah Arthur
P.S. On a completely different note, I’m enchanted by your “Mrs. Wilkinson” series! I would love to see it illustrated… haunting yet comical, dangerous like the old tales of faerie and yet guileless, not quite for children but childlike. What inspired you?
I’d be delighted, and I’ve emailed you to let you know that. For anyone else who might be interested, the “Mrs. Wilkinson” poems are fairly mysterious to me. I have no idea where she came from–it just seemed like it might be fun to play around with a modern character who still believes in fairies.
I found you too, Mary! I’m signing up for my dose of poetry! Can’t wait to see what is here and what is to come!
Hi Mary,
Found you thanks to Sarah’s book! I’m blogging on your poem “Not Like a Dove” today at http://www.letschoosejoy.com/1/post/2011/10/holy-spirit-metaphors.html. Will look forward to reading more of your poetry in the future. And sure you’ll get some hits to the site based on the book. Love how easy it is to connect these days.
Sue