A hearty welcome, pub-poets and “tourists—” all you who are stopping by to help us wrap up a fantastic week of celebration at dVerse Poets Pub.

This is Victoria, happy to be a part of the cleaning crew: sweeping up the left-over words, sorting out syntax, freshening those forms and polishing the mirrors—so that each of you can see clearly all you have accomplished over the last three years as participants in this community of poets.

This week we sang the praise of poets we enjoy, emulate and with whom we commune—poets of renown or those who inspire us right here in our virtual community. We enjoyed the beauty of the Boboli Gardens in Florence, the dancing, the music, the food and the conviviality of the Ball we attended on Thursday. We have been offered an exciting opportunity to be a part of our very own Anth…!

(Psst….V….that is still kinda a secret, unless you read the comments — announcement coming very soon….smiles ~B)

Ooops. My Bad!

Tonight, as we prepare to wind down the party and return to “normal” I want to share a few personal reflections about what dVerse has meant to me. The community of poets who frequent “The Pub” are from many countries, diverse backgrounds and belief systems, as well as varying levels of poetic experience and skill.

Accepting the various challenges offered by the team, we write in many forms from the most structured to unique free forms. It’s fun to see how our work develops over time, how we grow both as poets and persons. Being a part of the Pub offers us a glimpse of new ways of looking at things and acceptance of one another in spite of our differences.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the dVerse community is the ongoing opportunity for learning about the art and craft of poetry. This happens through the various posts offered by the team members. True. But even more so, I suggest, through reading one another’s work. For me, this highlights the importance of visiting and commenting on the poetry that our fellow poets offer with the help of good old “Mr. Linky.” In this sense, we are as much a University as a Pub.

Being part of the team since the beginning has been a huge privilege for me. It’s true–at times it’s demanding but so worth it.

We’re offering a prompt today—returning to an aspect of the first-ever prompt, suggested before the Grand Opening. Here you go: “The theme for today is … Publife, community!”  For the prompt on July 16, 2011, we had 61 links. Let’s double that number today!

Here’s how to join in:

• Write your poem and post it on your blog or website

•Copy the direct URL to your poem and paste it, along with your name, into the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post

• Return to the Pub to enjoy and comment on the work of your fellow poets

• Spread the word about dVerse on your social media networks

• Above all, have fun

In conclusion, thank you to each of you who are a part of dVerse, with a special shout-out to those who have been members of the team over the years:

Our Pub Landlords: Brian Miller and Claudia Schoenfeld

Our current Bartenders: Gay Cannon, Victoria Slotto, Laurie Kolp, Beth Winter, Shanyn Shilinski, Karin Gustafson, Mary Kling, Bjorn Brudberg, Joe Hesch, Tony Maude, Mary Grace Guevara, Anthony Desmond, Abhra Pal and Marina Sofia

And a warm “Thank you” to all those who have given of their time and talent in the past, tending the bar. And especially to you, the poets of this community. Here’s to another year!

BTW, team, I will be out for a couple of hours after the Pub opens (and I only have a dumb phone) but look forward to returning to read and continue the clean-up of a wonderful week of celebration.