Happy World Poetry Day! I’m almost always reading a poetry collection and right now it’s Life on Earth, Dorianne Laux’s newest.
I’ve been a fan of Dorianne’s work for quite a few years and have had a few interactions with her on what used to be Twitter. She has graciously allowed me to use lines from her poems in some of my own work such as this Creative Nonficton piece published in Love in the Time of Covid Chronicles that I wrote during the early days of the pandemic. Her poetry speaks to me because it’s about the joy and tragedy of everyday life, the hard work and love of relationships, as well as some really great pop culture pieces such as this favorite of mine that I share often. Her poem “Cher” spiked my memories of Cher as a teen growing up in the 70s, watching the Sonny and Cher Show religiously. It inspired a paragraph in my flash fiction piece Hot, Cold, & Blue published in and nominated by Still: The Journal for Best Small Fictions 2022 - and ultimately chosen for that anthology. I was thrilled since it is a favorite piece of mine. So, Dorianne has been an inspiration and I buy every book she publishes. Life on Earth doesn’t disappoint - every poem is a gem and right up there with her other stellar work.
I haven’t written a poetry post in quite a while so I thought, on this day, I would share some recent online poetry that rocked my world.
In Louisiana, Thirteen Crows Arc the Sky by Candace Hartsuyker in Jarfly Magazine
Mestastases by Robert Okaji in Does It Have Pockets (plus 2 others)
Every Time Someone Reads This Ghazal, I Reluctantly Spear the Dragon by Chrissy Stegman in Anti-Heroin Chic
Sister Songs by Merril D. Smith in Anti-Heroin Chic
Ten Dollars by Andi Myles in Rust + Moth
Love Poem by Hannah L.D. in Rust + Moth
Magpies Recognize Themselves in the Mirror by Kelli Russell Agodon in Poets.org which I read just today via Beth Ann Fennelly’s Substack, which I recommend.
My own most recent poetry publication was in Anti-Heroin Chic in December. You can read it here if you like.
Beth Ann also shared that The Slowdown is inviting nominations from listeners. Read about it and submit here. How great is this?! Do you have a favorite poem? Send it to The Slowdown or share it here. I’d love to read your faves.
So, in ending, here’s a favorite short poem of mine by Jane Hirshfield, “My Species” , as seen in Poetry Magazine:
My Species
even
a small purple artichoke
boiled
in its own bittered
and darkening
waters
grows tender,
grows tender and sweet
patience, I think,
my species
keep testing the spiny leaves
the spiny heart
Love your post, Charlotte. And I read “Hot, Cold & Blue” (terrific title!) and thought it was wonderful and can see why Still originally published it, and why it got picked up for Best Small Fictions 2022 — very deservedly so! And thanks, too, for sharing this collection of poems, and for sharing Jane Hirschfield’s “My Species” (I love JH). Deb
All these poems are stunning. Thank you for sharing the love.