A Garden Of Their Own

Years ago they came from many places
to study writing at a university
in the middle of America
surrounded by lush corn fields.

They worked hard, became friends,
took degrees, went home to write
and sent things out to publishers.
Nothing was ever published.

Email being what it is, they stayed
in touch and after awhile
one of them suggested they start
an online magazine of their own.

Over the years they published their work
on the site and sent other work
to publishers all over the world.
Nothing was ever published.

Their online site became The New Yorker
among those who had taken degrees
in writing at excellent schools but never
had work accepted by publishers.

Years later, the work remains on the site
but none of them has ever published
anything else and yet they’re delighted
to have grown a garden of their own