A poet who knows it

When I got back from the most wonderful retreat of my life on Sunday, I checked my email to view an email from poetry.com. This is the bulk of it:

Dear Mary Rodgers,

I am delighted to inform you that your poem "June, July, Mostly August, 2004 (Common Era)" has been awarded our prestigious Editor's Choice Award because it displays an original perspective and unique creativity -- judged to be the qualities found most in exceptional poetry. Congratulations on your achievement!

I laughed when I read this. I mean, really? Really? And the thing is, even though I posted it on poetry.com, who is poetry.com anyway? Who is this Editor?

Now, you might be saying, Kat! That's awesome! Why aren't you stoked?

Here's why:
Of course, the rest of the email informed me that if I wanted to buy a copy of the book it was to be published in, I could. How many of these Editor's Choice Awards are awarded? This is the skeptic in me talking, which rarely speaks up.

And yet,

To be a poet. For my livelihood. For my life.

I'll take what I can get. Someone (poetry.com) is publishing my poetry, and even though it might be a joke or a way to get money from me, part of me still lights up at the idea that someone is reading my poetry and saying, "Promising."

It's like that bubblegum song by Mandy Moore, "And now I'm ready to be extraordinary." And I think I just might be.

There are so many extraordinary people in my life, for which I am so thankful.