Hi, folks, long time no see, speak or hear. I’m Joe Hesch and I’ll be your host this month for Open Link Night. It appears I’ve done a few of these last-of-the-year parties.

I guess I’m a little like your kooky Uncle Joe, who rolls in around Christmas time to tell stories and serve wassail and mulled verses. This week we meet here at the Pub to share our observations, feelings and words, all wrapped in packages you can open at any time, if you push that Mr. Linky button at the end of this intro.

It is at this time of year that many of us look back upon the last twelve months and assess where we’ve been. And, by that same token, we look forward to a new year and how we might resolve to make things different (and hopefully better) in the next twelve months. Man, I hope it’s better.

This was a bear of a year for yours truly. Full of ups, such as the birth of my first grandchild and the publication of my first collection of poetry. And it had it’s share of downs, deep downs, like the death of my Mom, some busted bones, surgery and a struggle with a knee-capping depression that kept me away from you. And sometimes might still.

But, damn it, if I didn’t keep writing through it all. And it was a gift every time.

And that’s the gift we’re here to celebrate tonight. Our gift is one we give away, willingly, each time we click Publish. We give away a piece of ourselves that no one else could give in just that way. Twice a week around here, we’re given a prompt to write to, and darn it if no two poems come back alike.

Here’s to us, we poets, we readers, we colleagues here at dVerse, where each week we serve and quaff many many gifts given and received.

Here’s how you can share your gift with us.

• Link in your OLN poem – one per blog, please – by clicking on the Mr.Linky button just below and cutting and pasting in your link.
• Don’t forget to let your readers know where you’re linking up and encourage them to participate by including a link to dVerse in your blog post.
• Visit as many other poems as you like, commenting as you see fit. This is where you get to express yourself about this poet’s work.
• Spread the word about our work. Feel free to tweet and share on the social media of your choice.

If I don’t get the chance in the coming days, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and happiest of holidays, dear poets. Thank you for all the gifts you’ve brought me each week since I began writing poetry and especially since Brian and Claudia opened the doors to the Pub.