Poetry

One poem in Streetcake #50

Streetcake issue #50, the “50th Anniversary Issue,” went live today (December 30, 2016) including one of my poems, “The Light Becomes the Tunnel.” The whole issue is a quick read, as it’s fairly short–great for year end vacation reading.

Sometimes you just know when a journal is right for your work. Here’s how the Streetcake editors describe what they’re looking for: “We are looking for exciting writing that is visual, innovative and experimental. We also like great imagery and humorous writing. We want to read poetry and fiction that surprises us, looks downright weird and is a little out of the ordinary. So if your writing is a bit of an outcast, then join us, support us and keep returning to the cake.”

Three poems accepted in Chiron Review

Just got an email from Chiron Review notifying me that they had accepted three of my poems for publication in the Summer 2017 issue: “First Day On,” “Tonight’s Window,” and “Hit the Shoes.” It will be a long wait, but it’s pretty exciting for me, since the last time they published my work was in the 90’s.

Poem on the Resistance Poetry Wall

Yesterday I posted my poem “Soup du Jour (Election Year)” to the Resistance Poetry Wall. Looks like my post was number 129.

A page on the 100 Thousand Poets for Change blog, “The RESISTANCE POETRY WALL has been opened in response to the call by many for an open place to post poetry and art about the recent USA elections. Poets and artists from around the world are invited to post their work here.”

If you have a poem related to the election, you should post it! If you don’t already have a poem, write one!

I wrote “Soup du Jour” several years ago, but it still seems prescient of the 2016 election results, where nihilism seems to have ruled the day. All this past year, I’ve been sending that poem out, thinking a journal would grab it for its timeliness. But no luck. Right now it’s out at another journal, likely to be ignored.

Anyway, if you read it, note that the line spacing was removed by the blog platform. I think the line spacing added to the movement and energy of the piece, but it means the same thing without it.

Two poems in Clockwise Cat #35

Just found out that Clockwise Cat Issue 35 went live on October 16. The journal includes two of my poems: “Egg Raid on Midtown” and “Just to Be a Hobo” on pages 17-19. You can find a link to the issue here. Clockwise Cat is an online magazine published via Yumpu, so it reads like a print publication.  Lots of neo-surreal poetry and full color collage art amid reviews and rants, making a dynamic mix.

Flashback: Two poems in TAPJoE

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That time The Anaprocrustean Poetry Journal of Enumclaw (TAPJoE) published two of my poems in their Spring 1988 issue. “Tshotsholoza Kylezondawo, Vyabaleka” is an isiZulu phrase meaning “Work steady, the train is coming,” as mentioned in Athol Fugard’s play Siswe Banzi is Dead. I wrote this poem while attending a performance of the play back in the 80’s at Virginia Tech. Double flashback! The other poem they published is “Seed” (below). These were the first of my poems accepted for publication outside Tech’s student lit rag, Silhouette.

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Flashback: One poem in Exquisite Corpse

img_1959That time my poem “Christmas is Over” was published in Andrei Codrescu’s Exquisite Corpse, No. 50 1994/95. This was my second appearance in the journal. Very bummed it doesn’t exist anymore. I love the closing image of Santa Claus jumping up and down in a chimney on fire. That’s what happens when you’re in the zone.

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Flashback: One poem in Chiron Review

img_1949That time Chiron Review published one of my poems, “Thought He Had the Skinny,” in Issue #46-47, Spring/Summer 1996. Looking at this now, it’s funny how it has that Bukowski type horse racing thing going on, which is possibly why it got accepted. I definitely was reading a lot of Bukowski back then, but I’ve never been to a horse track. Ridiculously amazing issue, though (see cover below).

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