When inspiration to write poetry about nature strikes, I tend to use short forms. In those particular poems, I capture an image, a sound, a brief moment in time. In order not to risk losing the Muse's gift, I record the sensory information before I attempt to figure out what form works for the words.

Years ago, I stumbled across a series of blog posts (NSFW) discussing various poetry forms by creative writing instructor Dr Ashley R Lister. I saved them all and refer to them when figuring out which form works for the descriptions I capture. For example, I discovered a Spanish form, shadorma, through his blog and six of those have since been published.

One of my more recent inspirations didn't fit any of the forms I use most often, so I went to the list and discovered this particular poem wanted to be a nonet. Less than two months after completing my very first nonet, I learned it placed third in the inaugural Cripendy Contest. It will be published next month by The Handy, Uncapped Pen, a blog/community for disabled and neurodivergent creatives.