Tag Archives: poetry community
Thank you to Dawn Pisturino for Her Review of Poetry Treasures 4
Gorgeous Poetry about Being Human on an Endangered Planet
Looking for a new poetry book? Look no further than this beautiful collection by Candice M. Kelsey within this stunning cover.
The chapbook was published in March 2024 by the publisher, boats against the current. The cover art is by Matt Kish.
Find it at Amazon here:
My Review of Postcards from the Masthead
Reading the poems in Candice M. Kelsey’s new chapbook, Postcards from the Masthead, feels a bit like finding your stride on a boat deck, as you learn to move with the waves, enjoying your place upon a vast body of water. The reader must navigate between the life of our planet and the life of the body which “dresses itself in courage / to face the morning / bastard glow.” There is a sense of connection between the larger, public world and the individual. These poems are fraught with angst over the dangers of climate change. At the same time, they investigate corporeal dangers and desires. The striking imagery and perspectives unique to Kelsey are a warning cry against our endangered lives.
Here is a sample poem:
Meditation on the Pinky Toe, Port Side
Broken again littlest
one throbbing pink
loud the big toe shifts
like my father in a chair
Sunday sessions
mandatory for the EDU
a daughter in treatment
circle of silent frescoes
and he's unhappy as
the third mate's cat
Blue who bounds over
white cedar bulwarks
where I lean with today’s
galley of oranges
halved she capsizes
a feline Michelangelo
painting the Sistine
or God dabs my toe wet
with paint-drop nose
she too knows injury
touches the gnarled-speck
perimeter of my foot
now a flesh canvas
cathedral ceiling scene
where I am broken
by a hundred Adams
awful fools busy naming
the garden of my body—
we catch ourselves
on the world’s harpoons
such sharp edges protrude
to hobble us with small
private dislocations and yet
like this little piggy
some of us make it home
somehow I make it
all the goddamn way
Filed under #amreading, Book Review, Poetry, Poetry book, Poetry Collection, Writing
UPDATE: Early Spring in Arizona and Writing News (#TankaTuesday)
In this post I forgot to mention a reading that Storyteller Journal had this past weekend. I read one of my poems from Kin Types, a poem I’ve never read aloud before. Here’s a link if you’re interested. My poem is at the 20 minute mark.
The challenge for 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, No. 21 is Early Spring, Part II. I wrote a Butterfly Cinquain because I liked the name and the idea of it for early spring. I have bolded the kigo words, “coming of spring.”
The Weather Has Shifted Toward Spring
Today
I celebrate
the coming of spring days
the sun has turned up its wattage
I smile
without even realizing
so glad for sun-kissed skin
for blossoms tipped
upward
###
The Power of the Feminine I, Volume 1, a poetry anthology edited by Christal Ann Rice Cooper and Donna Biffar is one of the most exciting anthologies I’ve read. The perspective of each poem is from a feminine speaker, and the inspirations come from mythology, history, the female body, and the contemporary world. The breadth of subjects is astonishing, and the poems well-crafted. I am thrilled to have a poem in this book, keeping company with work by many of the finest poets. I expect Volume 2 to be just as exceptional as this one.
My poem is about a healer woman accused of being a witch. I’ll have two more in the second volume. But SERIOUSLY this is a book you want. I am so impressed with all these wonderful poems. It would also make a great gift for anyone interested in women’s voices, women’s history, feminism, etc.
This thick book is only $10.99 on Amazon–or if you prefer a Kindle version, only $3!
The Lothlorien Poetry Journal has published a new volume. Five of my poems are in there, along with lots of poetry by other poets.
If you’re reading this today, February 14, Happy Valentine’s Day. Currently, my Valentine is my grandson, who is the cutest baby the world has ever known.
Filed under #poetrycommunity, #TankaTuesday, #writingcommunity, Arizona, Poetry, Syllabic Poetry, Writing
