Poetry, Prosecco, and Pretty Girls

So my favorite day of the week is Wednesday. Why Wednesday? Cause that's the day I get to see my Cobras!

The Cobras:

Claire Ali Diana

We all went to grad school together to get our ever-practical Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (ha), and since then have been the best of friends! I love these two beauties . . . (seriously, aren't they so pretty?)!

Every Wednesday evening (with rare & devastating exception), the Cobras gather at my house and drink wine and eat dinner and workshop our poems from that week. The three of us take turns coming up with the assignments. Last week was my turn, for instance, and since we were going to have to skip a week (horrifying!), I assigned two poems:

1. Write a sestina, pantoum, or villanelle;
2. Pick a "mentor poet," read 30 poems from him/her, and write a poem that is inspired by your poet

But our lovely Ali just moved into a ridiculously gorgeous, serene house in the Oakland hills with her boyfriend, so we packed up and had a little Cobra field trip to her new digs . . . OMG:


I mean for real??

Those of you who live in cities understand how rare it is to have this kind of amazing beauty and space at home. Fountains! Yards! And what's that in the top left?? A HOT TUB.

We sat outside and had some okra & brie, and also some of this:

let's just say we finished both bottles . . . and only two of us drink

It was amazing. Ali cooked us a lovely dinner, we drank aplenty, and we discussed our poems. Next Wednesday I'll be in Georgia, and although I'm so excited to see my family . . . I'll be missing my Cobras. xoxo.