Poetry

“First Day On” and two other poems published in Chiron Review

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The Summer 2017 issue of Chiron Review is finally out (#108), with a load of tough, straight-talking poetry from writers like Gerald Locklin, Lyn Lifshin, and Marge Piercy among a huge assortment of other folks. I’m pleased to say that three of my poems made it into this issue: “First Day On,” “Hit the Shoes,” and “Tonight’s Window.”

This is a print-only issue, so interested parties will need to purchase one from the Chiron Review website.

“Hit the Shoes” is particularly notable for me, as it loosely transcribes one of my Dad’s rants in a New Jersey hotel room after helping my sister and her now ex-husband move out of their apartment. Naturally, I didn’t attempt to record this blast until later, but I think I captured the essence.

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“Temples of Tulum” published in Streetcake

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An online magazine for “innovative, experimental, and visual writing,” Streetcake just released it’s latest installment. Issue 54 is a quick read with many interesting pieces. It also includes my poem “Temples of Tulum.” This is another piece in my Civilization’s Lost series, inspired by lost civilizations around the world and examining the fragility of languages, cultures and nations. You can read it here.

Flashback: Golden Poet Award 1991

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I found this “beautiful certificate” in a folder filled with miscellaneous literary correspondence. World of Poetry ran many contests, and anyone who entered would get one of these mass printed forms. I’m not sure it inspired me to “new poetical heights,” but I did write a subversively sentimental poem for one of their contests.

Back in the 90’s, it seemed rather amusing to send stuff to them. Once I got an Honorary Mention Award, but haven’t found that yet. The company made money by compiling huge books filled with sentimental poetry and selling them to the Golden Poets who “contributed.” I could have ordered the “brass and walnut Golden Poet Plaque” mentioned below, but I never did that either. So I have nothing to “celebrate my greatness.”

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Judging by a quick Internet search, World of Poetry no longer exists. That would seem to leave a huge vacancy for an organization to boost poetic egos while fleecing them of their money. I wonder what happened to Edde-Lou Cole and her poetry mission?

“Dance with the Last Angel” published by In Between Hangovers

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One more poem in venerable underground poetry blog In Between Hangovers, part of their daily dose of outsider scribbling. This time “Dance with the Last Angel” makes its first appearance in print. You can read it here. While you’re there, check out the work of Tristram, Catlin and Babbs, also appearing today.

“Two Pages in the Book of Death” and three other poems in Danse Macabre

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Online literary journal Danse Macabre features “noir coloratura letters by authors from around the world and beyond the grave.” The magazine’s new issue #109 is just out today. It includes four of my poems: “Two Pages in the Book of Death,” “The Subway,” “The Great Thief,” and “Djinnie in the Rain.” You can read them here.

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“Lift Cap to Hand” published at In Between Hangovers”

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Underground poetry blog In Between Hangovers publishes a selection of poems each day. They recently accepted a batch of stuff from me, which they seem to be rushing into electronic print. Today, my poem “Lift Cap to Hand” joined the chorus of underground voices. This is from the “surreal rant” style pieces in my stash, which sort of rely in strings of outrageous similes to create a blur of images. This one always makes me laugh when I get to the line “lurching like a bee stung circus convoy in Mexican heat.” You can read the whole thing here.

“Whistling on a Wire” published in Le Scat Noir

The 228th issue of old school avant garde journal Le Scat Noir was just released today. An homage of sorts to the humorous art movement of Le Belle Epoque France (circa 1880) called the Incoherents and their nightclub and journal Le Chat Noir, the modern day LSN combines humor, art news, Trump mockery, word play, literary experiments, cartoons, color graphics, and literature in translation, all in a dynamic, visually appealing layout. One of their many amusing taglines: “LSN continues to set standards where none exist.”

This issue also includes my poem “Whistling on a Wire,” which many other journals have rejected, presumably because of its scatalogical nature–in it, an oragutan pees on a crowd of National Zoo-goers. You can read it by following this link.

While the previous issues have been free, I regret to say this October 2017 installment costs $5. But if you peruse just one of the previous ones, you’ll see that it’s a good deal.