THE IMAGINARY GARDEN WITH REAL TOADS: A RETROSPECTIVE WITH KERRY, MARIAN AND SHERRY

We have come to the end of an era, my friends, as our Imaginary Garden comes to a close. I remember, in 2011, when Robb Lloyd and Kerry cooked up the idea of Real Toads. Poets United had a large membership then, and the vision for Toads was a smaller site, twenty members maximum, who would work more closely together and strive towards the growth of its poets. It has fulfilled that goal admirably. It has been such a pleasure and privilege to find myself in the Pond, reading the work of such talented poets, and getting to add my “ribbet!” from the wobbly edge of my lily-pad.

Our core members have included some amazing poets: Kerry, Marian, Susie, Shay, Kelli, Joy, and all the others. Everyone wrote with such energy, such joy. It was a glorious ride. Sometimes, we flew! Since then, many Toads have joined us; they swam with us awhile, and some swam on. Each Toad has added something special to the Pond that has enriched us all.

As we get ready to close the curtains on a glorious near-decade, I asked Kerry and Marian for their thoughts and reflections, before we put this tired old toad to bed.

The Rain Has Liberty

The grass bends its back in the stillness of the rain
in its endless falling, the yellow grass

leaning away from the wind in endless yellow rows
like soldiers marching through mud, and dying

but behind the fallen, are ranks and ranks
of the living, golden in youth but dying too.

And the rain has liberty; and the mountains
open their mouths and drink; and the grass

is heavy with seed; and this is the way of things
because the dead are always with us

we march in time in our ranks to the grave
where the yellow grass grows tall in the rain.

Kerry: This is a poem I wrote during NaPoWriMo, April 2019, an example of a poem I would not have written if it were not for a Real Toad prompt.

Marian: Kerry, this poem of yours amazes. I think I might save it in my verse jar (wink).

Sherry: It is beautiful! Kerry, my friend, will you share your thoughts about this expedition we have made? When you look back, did you have any idea of the journey you were embarking on in 2011? What were the joys, and the highlights? What stands out for you?

Kerry: Such questions do not have simple answers, Sherry. When Robb devised Real Toads (the site was his brainchild), his vision was for a closed community of invited poets to work together, behind the scenes of Poets United, but it did not really take off. I asked him for permission to repurpose the site as an open forum, with a core membership, and he handed it over to me lock, stock and barrel, for which I am eternally grateful. We had a very slow start, but over the years I managed to persuade many remarkable poets to join our ranks and, I believe, the blogsite found its niche in the world of online blogging.

To our advantage, Sherry, you were one of the founder members and your passion for writing, as well as ties to the greater poetry community was a great source of energy to get us all up and running. Persuading Marian to partner with me was also instrumental in bringing the vision to fruition. Without your loyalty, love and commitment, I would never have made it this far alone.

Sherry: I found the online poetry community with such joy, back then. It galvanized my writing, which had been flagging for lack of support. I am eternally grateful for the support and encouragement all of you have given to me all these years.

Marian: Kerry, I still remember you reaching out to me with an invitation to join the Imaginary Garden. I was surprised and flattered and right away knew that this opportunity would be special. For a while I had been engaged in greeting new members for Robb at Poets United, which involved sleuthing to determine if folks were real humans who were really writing poetry. That was fine, but the prospect of an intimate group where we all provided support and gentle critique in order to develop and grow our skills? That was amazing. It still is amazing. Thank you, Sister-Poet, for including me in your early vision. I’m extraordinarily grateful.

Kerry: What stands out for me, and what is the most difficult thing to let go of is April Poetry Writing Month in the Imaginary Garden. It was the most work, but also the most rewarding part of every year for me. We have a total of 210 Poems in April prompts – 7 years running! The first time we offered a prompt a day, I thought I had overshot the mark and it would never work but every year, when I asked the toads to contribute, everyone rallied around. Those months were the most magical times spent surrounded by the creative energy of so many writers.

Marian: Agree! April in the Garden is nothing short of magical.

Sherry: I love it, too. I always try to do a poem a day in April, and it has been awesome to have a forum with intriguing prompts to spur us on. How has this community and this site impacted your own work, Kerry?

Kerry: I can honestly say that, before the inception of Real Toads, I was more a scribbler of painfully unoriginal verses, just dabbling in a new found hobby of online blogging, and working very much in a vacuum. This was why I thought it so important to create a network of writers.

My own journey to becoming a poet began back in July 2011. I believe that I have managed to develop my poetic voice and style to a level which would simply not have been possible without the help, guidance and example of all the amazing poets I have met along the way. There are too many to name, but so many people close to my heart who taught me, above all, to believe in myself and to push myself to a higher level of expression than I had thought possible.

Sherry: Wow! That amazes me! When I stumbled upon you back then, I was blown away by your talent. I thought you must have been writing for years!

Is there anything else you’d like to say, Kerry? Our fellow Toads are all agog, looking at you from their lily-pads, as we always have. Has Real Toads fulfilled the vision you had for it?

Kerry: Real Toads is a place in my mind, not a thing. It began as a dream and became a reality in its own right, far beyond anything I may have planned. The Imaginary Garden contains the intellectual property of some of the finest online poets of the 21^st century, true influencers in this esoteric realm. I do want to reassure all contributors that the site itself will remain available as an archive, easily accessible and open to all. My hope is that the collected prompts, challenges and articles of the Toads will continue to inspire writers in the future. The aspect that will no longer be offered in the new year is that of weekly challenges and prompts. In that respect, the Real Toads are vacating their lily pads for a well-deserved retirement.

Sherry: We are very grateful Toads will remain as an archive, Kerry. Thank you for the gift to poets that this site has been right from the beginning. Now, Maid Marian, will you share a poem with us?

Marian: Gosh, I feel like a huge number of my poems were birthed from challenges in the Imaginary Garden. Here is one I wrote prompted by Kerry, who shared a Man Ray photo, “Woman with Long Hair,” a couple years back. It’s an awdl gywydd, a Welsh form introduced by Pirate Grace in our first year, and I have written approximately eleventy billion poems in this lovely form since.

They’ll Catch Up In the End

Lies tucked in a plait of hair

no longer fair but greying

nest of untruths tightly made

a braid that’s meant for staying

Roots like mirrors echoing

ornery knowing strands forced

into submission until

no one will know which is worse

The lie or the lying man

who can simply smile and say

empty prayers for your long hair

let down to air lies today

Sherry: Marian, how gorgeous! What a journey this has been! Tell us what you remember, as you look back. Hasn’t it been amazing?

Marian: It really has been amazing! The prompts and festivities and camaraderie, it’s all really memorable and incredible. I’m thinking of all the different kinds of prompts we’ve shared, and the collaborations and the interviews. It’s all great. But the friendships born in this space, that’s the best part. And I will surely carry the hearts of many of my friends here, and because we are friends we’ll head off together to some new adventure.

Sherry: Yes, the friendships will endure. You have been here from the beginning. How has this site impacted your own work?

Marian: It’s hard to quantify how much I have received from the Garden and its dwellers. We have all grown in our writing so much, it’s easy to observe that. Would we have done so if we had not gathered here? Probably not, at least speaking for myself. It’s been the constant stream of challenges and encouragement that has kept me going and insisted that I always keep improving my work. Working with all of you has helped me to be confident and forthright with my small contribution so that I keep throwing verses out into the world.

Sherry:  Do you have a message for our fellow Toads, my friend?

Marian: Just that I love you all and have been honored to stand up my own work next to all of yours. Thank you.

Sherry: Thank you, my friend. Your contribution has inspired us all.

The other day I wrote a whimsical poem about the Garden, to Kim Russell's prompt, to write a poem in the repetitive style of  Wendy Cope’s “The Uncertainty of the Poet”. It feels like the right one to include here, on this bittersweet day of endings and remembering.

TOAD SONGS

Have you heard the Toads
in the Garden?
They are all sweetly singing.

In the Garden, Toads,
singing sweetly -
how we will miss them!

We will miss the Garden Toads;
their songs gladdened our hearts.
Our gladdened hearts will remember
our Pond years with gratitude.

We Toads sing our gratitude
to Kerry, our Head Toad.
Never has a Toad sung
more sweetly than she.

From our lily pads, we sing
Toad praises forever.
Thank you and thank you
for all the poems in this Garden.
Never has a froggy Pond
sounded so sweet.

The singing grows fainter;
eventide draws near.
Thank you and thank you
for every Toad song.

Sherry: When I first joined the Toads,  I wondered if I could keep up. I was in awe of the very talented Toads. But you were all kind, and told me that every voice was valued, and so I kept on. The result: my poems and I grew, my voice grew stronger. I know Toads is what encouraged that voice.

Soon I will hit “Publish” for the very last time at Toads. Ouch! What I take away is gratitude for the journey we have made. Being a Toad is one of the best gifts I have ever received.

I want to leave the closing words for Kerry. Kerry, it was your words, and your vision, that began this amazing almost-ten year journey.

Take it away! With our deepest gratitude for all you have given to us all these years, the gift of time and hard work behind the scenes that you gave so selflessly and generously to our beloved Pond. No one could have done it better!

Kerry: What is there left for me to say, except a most heartfelt and sincere THANK YOU? Thank you for all the words, the friendship, the support and, most importantly, the trust that everyone placed in me to do my best as Creative Manager of Real Toads. It has been a real honour and achievement.

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