Dangers, Dilemnas, Distractions and Advantages, Inspiration, Oceans and Venues

TOP 10 POINTS OF POETIC INSPIRATION IN 2006

By Ric Masten | Poet

10. The moment when I wrote “Contemplating Ankh,” in my 77th year. (To read the poem, go to montereycountyweekly.com.)

9. Helping bring a balance of power back to Washington.

8. Being given an Honorary Doctorial Degree by CSUMB.

7. Aiding the Steinbeck Center and Hartnell College with their 10,000 Poems Project, which set a Guinness World Record for most poems collected in a single project, with 14,972. I was happy to contribute more than 1,000.

6. Still coming up with poems that I haven’t written before.

5. Living on a ridgetop in Big Sur with a view that inspires, even after 47 years there.

4. Receiving scores of responses from my weekly online “Words & One-Liners.” I answer about 100 response messages each week.

3. Having my grandson spend a year in Iraq and come home.

2. Getting married to my wife for the 35th time Sept. 3.

1. Living life—for the ninth year—with “terminal” cancer.