Featured Works: Week of June 7 (Longing)
Whether it’s unrequited love, passion or something else, this week’s contributors portray the depth and frustration of longing. “Taking it in Almost” by David Breeden is a poem about yearning for something just out of reach. The short story “You Know How Women Are” by William Parent is set in 1969, using gentle humor to ponder dating. “Meeting Alice Mary” by Robert Watts Lamon, a story set in the 1980s, captures the seemingly insignificant moments that can shape love’s destiny. The poem “Sunday in Her Garden” by Maura Gage Cavell captures the almost...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of June 1 (Early Summer)
As the days grow warmer and the last vestiges of Spring disappear from even the coldest parts of the Northern Hemisphere, our contributors take us through the transition from Spring to Summer. “High Mountain Melt in Wyoming,” a poem by Larsen Bowker, encapsulates a boy’s experience of spring freedom. “Molted,” a haiku by Donald Gaither, depicts a common sight in North America over summertime. “Particles of Me,” a poem by John Szabo, intertwines the cycle of life with rich summer beach imagery. “Lingering Scent of the Divine Light,” a poem...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of May 17 (Hardship)
In our global community, no problem — whether it’s hunger, teen pregnancy, or government repression — stands alone. Such complicated issues as poverty, crime and discrimination are interwoven. This week, our contributors show us stories of hardship, desperation, and the rarest glimpses of hope. “Refugees,” a poem by Leslie Philibert, depicts the hearbreak and determination of those forced out of their homes. “Gasoline,” a poem by Terry Minchow-Proffitt, is told from the point of view of a young man who feels compelled to steal. “Eggs,” a short story by A.D. Sams,...
Read MoreFeatured Works: Week of May 10 (Humor on Writing)
What more perfect way to follow the National Poetry Writing Month challenge than with humorous works about the writing process? This week’s contributors give us reason to smile. The poem “Survey Says” by Lara Dolphin imagines “bad poetry” as the topic on the game show “Family Feud.” “Dear Mr. Shakespeare” by Janice Canerdy is a spoof rejection of “Macbeth.” The haiku “Fishing” by Donald Gaither compares writing poetry to a popular...
Read MoreNaPoWriMo Prompt 30
At long last, it is Day 30, the final day of the NaPoWriMo challenge. We began the month by writing an “ars poetica,” a poem about our philosophy of poetry, a type of poem which often begins poetry collections. Now let’s end with the sort of poem that might end a poetry collection. Today, write either an epilogue or a poetic biography. An epilogue is defined as “a section or speech at the end of a book or play that serves as a comment on or a conclusion to what has happened.” For a great example, look at Robert Lowell’s “Epilogue,” which...
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