I come from a long line of working people. Tool and die makers, nurses, a chef or two. And as I got older, I grew more skeptical of the lady who said no one ever died wishing they'd spent another day at work. So this poem's inspired by the people I know (the many people I know) whose work is crafted and generous and sometimes the best of their very good hearts. Hint: If you're related to me, you may find yourself in here somewhere. The whole poem is waiting here. This is an excerpt:

Ode to Work, Which is a Kind of Prayer

Like Peter's metalwork, milled

in aluminum alloys, titanium

with its iridescent skin. 

Geometric fantasias—sphere

melded with cone, with square--
a hand-sized sculpture
made to fit the machine’s heart. 

And if you'd like, I can write you a poem about your work. Or your play, or your best friend's birthday. Give me a challenge. You can donate to the wonderful Tupelo press here and leave me your request below or at gaildimaggio@aol.com. I'm grateful for every idea.

Here's my list of incentives, just to spark your thoughts:

For $5: Choose five words and I will write a poem for you using those words.

For $10: Email me a photograph or a link to a painting. I’ll write a poem about what that it makes me see, feel, imagine or remember.

For $20: Send me the title of a poem. (Find it. Create it.) Then I have to write the poem.

For $25: Tell me your birthday—day, month and year—I’ll write a poem about that day. If you want to leave off the actual year of birth, fine. I’ll choose my own year and you’ll still get a poem connected to your birthday.

For $25: Choose a subject or a place and I’ll write the poem.

For $50: I’ll make you an illustrated chapbook of a selection of six poems 

written during this challenge (you pick) and I’ll mail it to you by the end of September.

Subscribe to Tupelo Press. 10 books for $99. Subscribe here and be sure to put my name in the “Is this a subscription in honor of a 30/30 poet. If so, please list their name here” field.