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A scene from my bed, where I ordered my fifth collection of poems ... Let me start by saying there is no “right” way to order a collection of poems. Some of the best poetry collections (and best poems, too!) are the ones that break the rules. In my experience, how poems are organized in a collection is more instinctual than anything else. Listen to the poems, let them be in conversation with each other—feel your way through the ordering of your collection. But I know, too

25 things I'm thinking about as 2025 draws to a close: 1. I realized I could stop trying to explain myself as a writer. For example: “I write health and parenting articles for a living, but I’m also a poet with a few books and I sometimes write personal essays and memoir.” Instead, I’m trying to just call myself a writer, because as different as some of the things I write are, they are all coming from me, require many of the same skills, and also, why do I need to explain? I’