I mentioned in a post a few months ago that the first poem I ever sold was to a magazine called The New Era, in the late 70’s. I was in 9th Grade at the time, and I blame my entire life of writing on the fact that I was paid for this poem. True, the check was for the measly sum of $7. But it gave me the far-fetched idea that I could make my writing pay off: I was convinced I wouldn’t have to starve for my art. Onward, I write. I’m still convinced I will one day write a million-dollar poem—even though there has never yet been a million-dollar poem written so far, in all of history. When I do finally do that impossible thing, I will buy drinks for y’all at the watering holes of your choice.
Anyhoo… While cleaning out a saggy, yellowed box today, I found the proof I sold that first poem in 1979. Here, you can see photos of the letter and envelope in which it came to me. The sold poem is here, as well. The postage on the envelope cost 15 cents. I had no idea I still had this evidence of a not-so-great-but-bought poem still kicking around in my life somewhere. I figured I needed to share it on TIE O’ THE DAY, so I can then throw it in the recycling and be done with it. The poem is flitty and light and forgettable, and that’s okay. I was too young a writer to know better. I’ve known better for decades now. Oh, FYI: “Asleep Down Under” never was published in the magazine. And I think I spent the $7 on a new cloth typewriter ribbon for the old Underwood typewriter my Grandma Wright let me borrow.
The poem also bothers me on a punctuation level because it has a semi-colon (;) in it. I abhor semi-colons and try to use them as little as possible when I write. I’m in love with dashes and hyphens, however. (I could write a series of posts about why I don’t like semi-colons, but I genuinely like y’all—so I won’t even threaten to do such an esoteric thing. Ain’t nobody wanna read about that.)As for the tie I’m wearing, I chose it because I thought the hula dancers Tie o’ the Day went well with the warm and casual outdoors-iness of the poem. They kind of match, so to speak.