(for Walt Wiley)
Mr. Wiley used to call me now and then
from his desk at the local newspaper.
Good reporter that he was, he knew just
when to catch me between classes, often
sitting in my office with a student journalist
editing the third draft of a sports story—
me asking dumb questions like, “Will
people know what an inside cut is?”
And Walt’s voice would twang in my ear:
“I’m suckin’ wind here—whaddya got
there on the campus?” He always made
me chuckle, and I’d run my hyped-up
brain over stories the students had done—
or should have—to offer to the local
columnist looking for items. I think of
Walt often now, happily retired from
the newspaper game and living nearby,
especially on afternoons like this one
when I lace up my tennies and head out
into the day for a walk, eyes peeled for
items of interest that might find their
way into poems. I’m suckin’ wind, too,
Walt, but you taught me to trust that
there’s always something out there
that’s news to someone, that a snippet
or an anecdote just might prompt
a smile or a shake of the head
to someone reading this very piece,
and saying to a some other one in their
vicinity, “Well, wouldja listen to this,
Erma. The little poet lady has gone
and given us another poem.”
Güd wrtr 
Well THIS one sure prompted a smile!!! Jan I’m so loving waking up every EDT morning and finding your poems in my inbox. I love this one, the turn in it. I love the connection between Walt, the old newspaper guy, and the narrator, mentoring all these young journalists. And I also loved making connection between the narrator as a journalist and how that translated into her becoming a poet. I’m shaking my head and smiling and saying to Whiskey, “Well wouldja look at that; that Jan has gone and given us another marvelous poem!”
Thank you, Sue and Whiskey! I love thinking of you reading these of an early morning in your sweet cabin overlooking the pond as fall truly settles in. Hugs and love to you two and James!
Love right back to you, Poetgrrl!
Good work! And it seems that when the wind sucking is at its worst and the bottom of the glass has been reached for real, something really good turns up.
Thank you, Mr. Wiley! I can’t tell you how often you “sucking wind” comment comes back to me. You’re one of my great inspirations, you longtime columnist/travel writer fella, you!