Owl On The Prowl (or how dark the night can get)

She tries to outrun her destiny by hastening her step don't look back no matter what just don't look back and faster and faster she goes not knowing that he's already too close The thrill of knocking her off her feet sends shivers down his spine He can almost ... entire poem

A Girl Named Eureka

I once knew a girl named Eureka--
that's right, the vacuum cleaner.
She wasn't named by her father

Wishbone

Of all the scaffolding members of a half-eaten avian carcass-- why this one? More here

Fire At The Steak And Shake

The Steak And Shake was quaking,
pretty girls in slight attire,
while across the street, Panera,
he was dreaming of a fire;

The Hesitant Farmer

I walk amongst a sea of pumpkins
making conversation
with myself
in muddy earth terms
laced with mediocre intentions
while each leaf traces lines of worry
drawn from my troubled lips
and my green fruit turns orange
colored by embarrassing vagaries in my mind
as I weather demanding storms of summer
and change my mind along with autumn leaves.

Read more...

The Creature That Ate Alotaus

In the far away land of Alotaus
lived a creature folks called Trashapotamas,
who ate all their trash, ate their garbage up too,
so Alotaus, it always was shiny and new.

All the people who lived in Alotaus
were happy to feed Trashapotamas.
They tossed out their trash where they used it last,
on the streets and the yards of Alotaus.

Feed the trashapotamas.

Poetics: The 7 Essential Elements Of Poetry

It’s been awhile, but I’ve read Aristotle’s Poetics. It is one of my all-time favorite philosophical works related to the arts. Kurdish Aspect has a brilliant blog post on the ancient Greek philosopher’s treatise and how it relates to film making. It got me thinking about what is important in poetry. According to Plato’s main man, the seven essential elements of Greek storytelling included:

• Plot
• Character
• Theme
• Dialog
• Music
• Design
• Spectacle

See how each of these 7 elements of poetry can be implemented into every poem you write at World Class Poetry Blog.

The Calm Before The Storm

Big Mac laid upon the road,
a truck had mashed him flat.
The Burger King called for the hit,
said, "I've had enough of that."
Taco John stood just outside
the white castle of the king,
said, "Wow, these guys, they play real rough,
I hope nobody sings...

strai

"moving around between confession and humour, suggestion and reconstruction, tame and wild"

"you once said "inscription masks the face that should be ours" - were these the patterns you had spoken of? integrated with made up intent...

more here

Singing Emptiness

Only in emptiness, the song. And for that you can ask the humming wind

Cigar: A Poem Written On Smoking Iraqi Soil

I joined the National Guard in 1997 after a 10 year hiatus from the military. I had joined the active duty Army right out of high school, mainly to get away from my parents. That’s what poor kids do to rid themselves of an unhappy past. The above paragraph is the first paragraph of a creative nonfiction blog post that I wrote last night at World Class Poetry Blog The poem is an introduction to the poem "Cigar," which I wrote while serving in Iraq in 2005. "Cigar" was recently published at The New Verse News.

No Poems Tonight

I don't feel like a poem tonight,
I don't feel like rhythm and rhyme,
I don't feel like verses or meter;
or syllables counted in time.
I don't feel like writing in free verse

Wipe the snow off your grave,

trace

my finger over your name.

I do this in rememberance...

Read more of Beloved at The Shores of My Dreams.

Winter Morning

Walking softly, ghosts of winter
swish past trees of rugged bark.
Sound remains preoccupied, smothered in snow.
Only pine needles fidget, whimpering green.
Spooky quiet, early morning still,
Oh, that frigid winter spirit!

My spine tingles, lurking chilly spirit
icy fingers tapping notes of winter
up my back, and yet all is still
like those brooding trees with dull bark.
Whispers flow from only remaining green
poking through mounds of snow.

Read more

Poetics Vs. Politics: I Just Have This To Say About That

Sharon Brogan posted a poem on her website and received some feedback. It’s an excellent poem. It grabs you right from the beginning:

Don’t those pollsters know that married women lie in the presence of their husbands?

Read what I really think at World Class Poetry Blog.

Lost

Poisonous illusions scared I keep my eyes shut I kick and scream against perfect delusions but there's no way back Lost Buried underneath a thin blanket I struggle to ... entire poem

Moonlit Flight

I cannot give you inner strength that’s gone
I am, at best, a shoulder to lean on
I wish that I could will your fence to mend
And see you standing tall and proud, my friend
Cold shadows block your view and make you blind
To all the beauty captured by your rhyme

Blogsboro Poetry Club Widget Now On Facebook

Wow, that was a pain but I finally managed to make the Blogsboro Poetry Club Widget available to Facebook users. Here it is on Facebook.

So far over 22 people have installed the Blogsboro Poetry Club Widget to their blogs, websites, desk tops and homepages such as iGoogle. Hopefully adding Facebook will bring us many more subscribers.

Also, be sure to thank Gigi Reynard for installing the poetry club widget on her blog.

You Can Get There

Walking the dark streets in a neon drizzle between glass pyramids and a granite sphinx— that’s how the journey starts, looking for a stop on the crosstown line. More

Hide and Seek

Wooden planks of dust
Lean on floors of rust
Blanketing the ground

Nighttime bustle
Nighttime hustle
Until the child's found
more...

Stringfellow

Stringfellow, he was yellow
except when he was blue,
except when he was blazing red
or some forgotten hue;
except for when he turned to black

My Love

My love
rippling water,
pulsing in vibrant red,
issuing waves of affection
to you.

JO's Blog

Vena Cava

It was an itch that partially owned me, Supposing it would, With longing like a swan’s neck, It satisfied like a period on a sentence, Then inhaled all of my quotations

Poetry Potpourri, Volume 2

Looking for a place to publish your chapbook? Try Shadowbox Press.

Talking Heads’ David Byrne discusses indie music and how artists can control their own destiny. Much of this applies to literary artists as well.

Get more air freshener at World Class Poetry Blog.

slips

“right now, looking at the ground, distance was the first thing to go, rolling” “snatch, snatch, a heightened handshake” more here

Mary Had A Little Lamb

Mary had a little lamb
who fleeced me for some snow.
Seems Mary had a habit
the lamb was sure to know.

World Class Poetry Potpourri

Borders is sponsoring an Open Door Poetry Contest.

Edward Byrne is one year old.

Did you write anything today?

Get other great poetry links at World Class Poetry Blog.

Mary Oliver's "Cold Poem" Shows Us Our Own Sweet Devouring

I believe this poem hangs on the obscure wording of “suet.” ... The beauty of “Cold Poem” is that each measured stanza is a window into its own small part of the whole, each containing a movement of its own. The opening lines seem claustrophobic, setting the scene and the pace for the rest of the poem. The alliterative hard C’s kick us in the shins as we get the feel of the biting cold. It is winter, seemingly an arctic one. “Almost unbearable.” Then the hard C’s transform into another alliterative movement within a movement, from “unbearable” to “bunch up,” “boil down,” and a repetition of “bear.”

Get more analysis at the World Class Poetry Blog.

You Call That Poetry?

Is anyone else as unimpressed by About.com’s poetry page as I am?

Seriously, the list of best 2007 poetry books leaves a lot to be desired. Only half the books on the list are even worth considering. Then there’s the silliness of Aram Saroyan. And what do Bob Holman and Margery Snyder have to say about him?

Find out at World Class Poetry Blog.

Fractured

Fractured hours and fractured days,
staring out through fractured haze.
Fractured moments in fractured time
bring fractured dreams and fractured rhyme.
Fractured nights I spent alone...

And in the end,

it falls

the same...

Read more at The Shores of My Dreams

Malodorous Poet

He walked into the barroom,
the girls thought him the rage
opened his book to read
slurring every page.
I asked my date, "Why is it Dear,
these girls all love this drunk?"

I Stand for You

I stand for you and lay for you as wills your perfect heart, plucked from the Earth by time and toil to fulfill patient cause. I beg from you an answer true to my bold suit and part. For Diamondhearts and passioned priests the truth is as a dart that pierces deep while mortals sleep to lay the pathway's laws. I stand for you and lay for you as wills your perfect heart. William F. Devault. all rights reserved. (follow the link to see the full villanelle)

McCruncher Comes To Town

McCruncher walked up to the bar,
a tall one he poured down.
Said, "Forget the fat, my patty's flat
and about this big around.
I know you think I'm bragging
so I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll drag the fish fillet in back
and make her scream it's true.
See the horror!

New Directions

Seven days into the New Year and it’s stalled, the day length doesn’t change. Weather outlook: same as yesterday’s. Rain hides the horizons, masks dawn and dusk... more

I heard an angel sing - my silver chord affirms this; a voice so sweet so pure, no crystal known could ring as clear, nor take the soul so far from earth, or all the pain upon it. Please read the rest of the poem by janetleigh at Poetmeister ..on the road to Parnassus.

It's running fast into the

wind.

It's swimming far away from shore.

Read more at The Shores of My Dreams

Operation Dough-Nation

Panera, she was rockin'
swinging 'round and 'round the pole;
Hot Panini, they were grooving
playing R&B and Soul,
but there behind bright lights
hid by curtains in the back
the Bagels and Panera Kids
were planning their attack.
get a taste of that.

Love Is In The Air

Word Catalyst Magazine is accepting Valentine's Day submissions for its February issue. The deadline for submissions is January 25th. Send to editor at wordcatalystmagazine dot com with Love Lines in the subject line.

Limerick & Haiku Prompts

My thanks to Billy for inviting me to join this club. I'm proud to be a new member! For those of you who enjoy poetry prompts, I post one weekly at my Mad Kane Humor Blog. I generally post late Thursday evening or in the wee hours of Friday, and the theme of my latest is lies and deception. I hope you'll join me in writing limericks and/or haiku about that more-fun-than-it-sounds-like topic.

The Ballad Of The Bitch In Black

'Twas a snortin' Norton rode to town,
a Commando it was called.
850 cc to some degree
punched-out to make her scald.
Dressed all in black, tuned ports a fact,
twin carbs built by Mikuni.
To ride her it took nerves of steel
or perhaps to be quite loony.
Are you man enough to ride the bitch?

Poetry, Politics, Smoking, And Sex - My Favorite Things

The Comstock Review is now taking submissions. So is Hyperbole.

Of course, what’s a caucus without a poem, right ... (Read More)

quiver,

“then you noticed a bringing back, consistent with the postponement of finally – double-decker opponents blew bubbles at each other’s smokescreens” more here

Fast Food Road Trip

We loaded up for the great Southwest.
Taco drove the bus.
Wendy stayed up late night
always causing a big fuss.

Mandarin, she got out somewhere around Loch Mallad.
Caesar cried, “I’m hungry.”
Will Caesar ever eat again?

Old Anxiety

Look at how they look at me
with faces filled with scorn.
I may not be the shiniest,
I may be somewhat worn
Spare change?