"The world is never the same once
a good poem has been added to it."
Dylan Thomas
Quoted for educational purposes only
POEM OF THE MONTH
LEAVING THE EMPIRE
by mikel weisser
across the street
Dante Square
is actually a triangle
and not isosceles
but skewed
though the bums who sleep there
twitch no different while they're dreaming
and the would be millionaires
who now drift across that street
leaving the Empire behind
wander beneath the sycamores
watch the Dali-like clocks.
before them
the roiling huddles on the Lincoln Center stairs,
the walk of the world striding up Broadway,
and the commerce of the Empire behind them
they wait for the free taxi ride back to their reality
and collect all the New York they can possibly retain
in the space of less than a good sized suburban lawn
and try to not keep staring
as melting time fades their fifteen minutes
to a wink and a wave
before commercials
as the commerce of Empire bubbles on
mikel weisser writes from the left coast of Arizona, performs poetry, paints murals, makes politics funny with his political humor column, "Current Comedy," teaches social studies and creative writing, and lives in a peace sign themepark in So-Hi, Arizona. mikel explains that this poem was written across the street from the Empire Hotel after failing to win or even place on the episode of ABC's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? that aired on Oct. 10, 2000. Contact Mike.
NEW SKIN
by Matt Butcher
Ceaseless wandering, no soul to be jealous of,
Alone
Feeling you out there waiting
Like feeling the new skin after a scab,
Too new to be yours…yet…
Soon grows in and becomes
You
Wondering how you ever survived without it
You didn’t.
You had to be cut first,
A piñata that lives to be beaten,
And after the fiesta seeing your tatters,
Thinking that the smiles on the children’s faces were
The smiles you were born to be cut open for.
And seeing your eyes look at me,
Feeling every drop of blood course out of my veins for you,
For you,
Where I am truly at heaven,
Born to have your love cover me like a blanket on a January night.
You picked up my pieces and healed me over,
My new skin
MATT BUTCHER is a high school English teacher in Illinois.
He says that his writings and ramblings keep his mind from
exploding. He calls his blog The Butcher Shop
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FROST
by Patricia Wellingham-Jones
I sit at the kitchen table
pot of tea emptying as I write
In the moment of seeking the perfect word
I gaze out
In our usually-warm valley
bits of white float cross-wise
past the camellia
over the nandina
sticks to the cypress
Frost sneaks in along door cracks
chills my toes
By morning an inch of snow
brings life to a halt
children out of school
and the violets and wild iris
wear crowns of white
PATRICIA WELLINGHAM-JONES has a longtime interest in 'healing writing' and the benefits people gain from writing and reading their work together. Widely published, her chapbooks include DON’T TURN AWAY: Poems about Breast Cancer, VOICES ON THE LAND, and END-CYCLE: Poems about Caregiving. Contact Patricia.
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THE SHELTERED
by Dariel Suarez
There was a time as a child
when I’d almost recognize my fear,
when I’d almost understand
it had to do with having narrow bones
in a robust world willing to use its muscles,
with possessing an innate frailty
which deprived me of a killer instinct,
made me inept for marking and holding my territory
in a country where it tended to characterize you.
Until one day, standing by the front door,
my mother grabbed my shoulders and told me to be still.
She ran her hand from my forehead
to the top of my head and called me her cub.
Stop worrying, she said. I will always protect you.
So I spent the rest of my childhood
wild and joyful, playing in the streets
as if they were savannas,
returning home when the sun was highest
to lose myself in pleasant dreams,
and grow ever stronger
in the shade of Mom's sheltering fists.
DARIEL SUAREZ was born in Havana, Cuba, where he lived until 1997. He currently resides in Miami, FL with his wonderful wife and a large number of books. He is attending Florida International University, where he was a winner in both the Poetry and Fiction categories at the 2009 Literary Awards. Dariel's works have appeared or are forthcoming in elimae, The Heron's Nest, Vain, Foundling Review, Bent Pin, Every Day Poets, and Mad Swirl, among others. Contact Dariel.
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CONSEQUENCES
by Floriana Hall
If
You speed down the highway
Then
You might get caught and pay a fine
If
You are respectful of others
Then
You will earn respect in return.
If
You cut in line at the store
Then
You will stir up other’s wrath
If
You are rude and back biting
Then
No one will like you.
If
You are lazy and complain too much
Then
Your body will wither with more stress
If
You follow God’s commandments
Then
You will love others as yourself
If
You smile when everything seems to go awry
Then
You will be a happier person
If
You frown and linger in the dumps
Then
Everyone will notice
If
You can see the consequences
Then
Life will be enjoyable.
FLORIANA BERDYCK HALL was born in 1927 in Pittsburgh, PA, She is a Distinguished Alumna of Cuyahoga Falls High School, OH and attended Akron U. She has been married to Robert for 59 years. They have five children, nine grandchildren, one great-granddaughter. She is author/editor of ten nonfiction inspirational books, SMALL CHANGE, self published; THE ADVENTURES OF FLOSSIE, ROBBIE, AND JUNEY During The Great Depression (2006); THE SANDS OF RHYME, poetry; DADDY WAS A BAD BOY; OUT OF THE ORDINARY SHORT STORIES; HEARTS ON THE MEND (2006); FRANCIS, NOT THE SAINT (2008) and GATHERING GRACES, poetry (2008). Founder/coordinator of the Poet’s Nook at Cuyahoga Falls Library, Floriana is Editor of the group’s four books, VOICES IN VERSE, THROUGH OUR EYES, POET’S NOOK POTPOURRI and TOUCHING THE HEARTS OF GENERATIONS. She has won many poetry contests and is mentioned in WHO’S WHO IN US WRITERS, EDITORS AND POETS, WHO’S WHO IN INTERNATIONAL POETRY, MARQUIS WHO’S WHO IN AMERICA. She has been published in the US, UK, France and India and is a Poetry teacher, YOU, ME, AND POETRY, at www.LssWritingSchool.com. Contact Floriana.
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ANXIOUSLY AWAITING IGNITION
by Joseph Roque
Each of us, poets.
Some undiscovered,
some too long unheard,
anxiously awaiting ignition,
just
a flicker of recognition
for a chance to bloom,
an opening
of curtains,
a sweeping of rooms
to free our histories,
sanctify heirlooms,
preserve
the countless stories
walking aimlessly
in our heads
as casual tourists.
I hear voices not yet heard,
they need to be freed,
need to be nurtured.
JOSEPH ROQUE is a New Englander near retirement, who is re-acquainting himself with his favorite pursuit, walking in the woods, where he seduces nature and gathers words in glass jars. Most recently, his poetry has appeared in Silver Wings Magazine, and A Tender Touch and a Shade of Blue, online. Contact Joseph.
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OBVIOUS
by Peycho Kanev
it’s hot outside.
I am sitting by the curb with a wine
bottle in my hand
soon a bus stops at red light
and I take a look-
it’s full of old and blond people
tourists
maybe German maybe Dutch or
Swedish
everyone has a camera in the hand
and they take pictures around
two of them take pictures of me
I don’t smile
maybe their lives are happy and complete
I don’t know what that is
maybe they have kids and grand kids
big houses and vacations in America
maybe their lives are happy
but soon there is green light
and they go
and the big happy bus takes them
somewhere
I don’t belong.
PEYCHO KANEV is 28 years old. He loves to listen to sad music while he slowly drinks his beer. His work has been published in Welter, Gloom Cupboard, Off Beat Pulp, Nerve Cowboy, Chiron Review, Outsider Writers, Mad Swirl, Side of Grits, Southern Ocean Review, The Houston Literary Review and many others. He loves to put the word down and not talking on the cell phone for days. He is nominated for the Pushcart Award and currently lives in Chicago. His new poetry collection "r", in collaboration with Felino Soriano, Duane Locke and Edward Wells II is available at Amazon. Contact Peycho.
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BRINK
by cm
yesterday
emotions high
staggering,
drenched in sweat
a blinding,
glaring sun
suddenly cooled
standing
on the brink
is it time?
never enough
time
breathing, just barely
not ready, willing
almost,
scared
winter’s breath
CHARLES MARIANO is the author of THE WHOLE ENCHILADA: Recipes, Photos and Stories from Merced, CA, available at Amazon.com. Charles is, in his own words, "Elusive, reclusive, and otherwise quiet." Contact Charles.
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HAIKU
by Raquel D. Bailey
grandpa watching us...
from the window, his eyes
make snow-angels
RAQUEL D. BAILEY, originally from Jamaica, is the Founding Editor of Lyrical Passion Poetry E-Zine, sponsoring haiku, tanka & short fiction contests year round. An F.S.U. English graduate, she has earned Honorable Mentions in the 2009 Satoyama Haiku Contest, 2009 With Words Haiku Contest (U.K.), (Japan), 2008 Ludbreg Haiku Calendar Contest (Croatia), 2008 Haiku Calendar Contest U.K. (Snapshot Press), and the 2007 Mainichi Daily News Haiku Contest, (Japan). Her poetry works appear in The Heron's Nest, Atlas Poetica, The Smoking Poet, Other Poetry, EPN, Asahi Haikuist Network, Modern Haiku, Acorn, Red Lights, Simply Haiku, Presence, Frogpond, Mainichi Daily News, Ribbons, Chrysanthemum, Magnapoets, Shamrock, Modern English Tanka, Wisteria and Cider Press Review. Raquel resides in Florida. Contact Raquel.
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CLEVELAND CINQUAIN
by Michael Ceraolo
Bus ride-
computer voice
mispronounces the stops,
most riders too preoccupied
to laugh
MICHAEL CERAOLO is a 51-year old civil servant/poet who is interested in, and writes about the past, present, and future. Contact Michael.
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TO A FRIEND
by Ashutosh Ghildiyal
Remember the day
Our paths first crossed
On a street in an
Alien neighborhood
Remember the days
When we sat and drank at the cafes
Under the moonlit sky
In the damp, cold weather
Remember the days
When we went through that phase
Induced by a silly argument
Of not talking to each other
Remember the days
When everyone else was blasé
I stood in tears amid the alien crowd
And you came forward and no one other
It's been many ages since we last met
You stayed, and I traveled further
But I’ll come soon and shall not forget
To shake your dear hand, my brother
ASHUTOSH GHILDIYAL was born in 1984 in Lucknow, India. He is a salaried professional and a part-time author. He writes short stories, poetry, and essays. His work has been published in both print and online media. He is currently based in Mumbai. Website: http://ashutosh-ghildiyal.blogspot.com. Contact Ashutosh.
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THE TRUTH
by Esteban Liriano
“Find your purpose” said mother, “Find the truth” said father, but where do I start? Father is gone, and mother is far, who do I turn to now? All that I can possibly do is open the vault in the back of my mind and count my riches, for now I realize that my blessings lived in my youth, all the lessons, the tears, the scars, they were my guide into adulthood, mother always said “you’ll see”, father always said “you’ll do”, father never got to see what I did, and mother still reminds me. With such unbalance one would think we were geared to always fail, but failure is the product of lies. For whenever I have failed, it has been because I told myself that I couldn’t do it, and that is an absolute lie!
ESTEBAN LIRIANO is 24 years old. A native New Yorker, he currently lives in Lawrence, MA, His parents were born in the Dominican Republic and he has been writing since grade school. He has a beautiful son and a wonderful fiancee. Of his writing, Esteban says, “I like to portray those raw moments in life in which we all learn strength, courage, and passion; which so many of us, including myself, take for granted almost daily.... I have faced many challenges in life, just like every other person has. I use writing to channel those raw emotions and healing scars. Contact Esteban.
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WHITE RABBIT
by Abi Wyatt
It’s late, it’s late.
Leave aside that iron;
though it hisses and spits,
it will wait well enough
(if it must, it must)
for the breaking
of an unused day.
Swish, swish, swish!
All the creases smoothed away,
a wearing and a wash.
Time and tide,
a whole history erased.
It’s late, it’s late.
It’s late, it’s late.
Wrench your eyes from that flickering screen;
though it crouches and murmurs,
sweet and low, and hums
its silver dreams,
still it speaks only of plans undone
and its ghosts will never
love you back.
Listen, hear the sound of your heart,
how it races and pounds towards its stopping!
It’s late, it’s late.
Can you catch your breath?
Is there time enough
left in which
to sing?
ABI WYATT lives in the beautiful county of Cornwall in the United Kingdom. She was formerly a teacher of English but is now a full-time writer. Her work has been published in a number of independent magazines, most recently First Edition and Poetry Cornwall. Contact Abi.
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THE EVICTION
by Marie Delgado Travis
I arose quietly today,
as on so many occasions,
to hide my tears.
It’s not that I have
to leave this place.
I know we belong
to the air.
What hurts is that
in every corner
of my home,
there’s you…
and it’s all
I have left.
MARIE DELGADO TRAVIS is an award-winning author. She writes poetry and prose in English and Spanish. Visit her website at www.mariedelgadotravis.com
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January Celebrity Poet
Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
Nationality: Welsh
(excerpt)
“Do not go gentle into that good night”
Visit the poet’s official homepage at
All work the copyright of the respective authors.
