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    • 'Vote Joe' by Wortley Clutterbuck

      The Society
      September 6, 2020
      Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry, Readings
      3 Comments
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    • ‘Vesper’ and Other Poetry by Martin Briggs

      The Society
      July 14, 2025
      2
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      The Society
      July 13, 2025
    • ‘Three Philosophical Quatrains’ by Ian Allaby

      The Society
      July 13, 2025
      3
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      The Society
      July 12, 2025
      3
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      July 12, 2025
      30
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      July 11, 2025
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    • poetry/coats/haiku and senryu

      The 23 Best Haiku of 2023

      The Society
      September 29, 2023
      Best Poems, Essays, Haiku and Senryu, Poetry, Poetry Contests
      53 Comments
    Recent
    • The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku Competition

      The Society
      June 21, 2025
      166
    • Winners of Friends of Falun Gong 2025 Poetry Competition Announced

      The Society
      May 13, 2025
      1
    • 2025 Friends of Falun Gong Poetry Competition

      The Society
      March 31, 2025
    • The Best Poems of 2024: Winners of SCP International Poetry Competition

      The Society
      February 1, 2025
      28
    • Winners of 2024 SCP International High School Poetry Competition Announced

      The Society
      February 1, 2025
      2
    • The Best Haiku of 2024: Winners of the 2024 SCP Haiku Competition

      The Society
      September 29, 2024
      14
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Author The Society

The Society

The Society of Classical Poets was founded in New York in July, 2012.

‘The Painter’ and Other Poetry by Shamik Banerjee

The Society
September 19, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
15 Comments
. The Painter  The moment when a painting is complete, He starts another piece without delay Like respiration—take a breath; repeat. Without this passion, he won't last a day. While Nature keeps on working...

‘The Last Petal’: A Poem by Alani Timmons

The Society
September 19, 2024
Beauty, High School Submissions, Poetry
10 Comments
. The Last Petal In a garden old and wise, Where blooms and seasons intertwine, A rose stood tall against the skies, Its petals bright, its heart divine. But time, unseen, began to stir, A single petal loosed...

‘The Father of All Lights’: A Poem by James Sale

The Society
September 18, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
20 Comments
. The Father of All Lights "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow" ---James 1:17 How much more...

‘Oaks of Righteousness’: A Poem by D.R. Rainbolt

The Society
September 18, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
3 Comments
. Oaks of Righteousness “That they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD…”  ---Isaiah 61:3 What stories shared between these gnarled trees, What secrets shared twixt these and...

‘Of Windows and Lawns’: A Poem by James A. Tweedie

The Society
September 17, 2024
Culture, Poetry
13 Comments
. Of Windows and Lawns "I grew up in a neighborhood of folks who were very proud of their lawn." —Kamala Harris There was a theory that a single broken Window wasn’t a big deal. But Too many broken...

‘Henry Knox in His Bookstore’ from Andrew Benson Brown’s Mock Epic Poem

The Society
September 17, 2024
Epic, Poetry, Readings, Video
22 Comments
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtNh_jWAzKU . Henry Knox in His Bookstore ---from Legends of Liberty, Volume 3 The chiming of a doorway’s silver bells Announced the timing of a late arriving Patron to...

‘August, at Your Pleasure’ and Other Poetry by Paul A. Freeman

The Society
September 17, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
16 Comments
. August, at Your Pleasure The year, by August, late in middle age,gives knowing winks to autumn as the goldof summer sun and wheat fields turn the page,as youth, prolonged by zest, lets loose its hold. Recall...

‘Follow the Miracle’: A Poem on the Trump Assassination Attempts by Brian Yapko

The Society
September 16, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
32 Comments
. Follow the Miracle A random head-turn? Vector wind deflection? Or was it truly heavenly protection? His head came close to being torn asunder Yet he survived! I have to wonder If Trump was saved by divine...

‘Viracocha’: A Poem on the Incan Sun God by Daniel Pugh

The Society
September 16, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
3 Comments
. Viracocha Viracocha made the world, __He made it in a day. A day in Viracocha’s life __Would leave you old and gray, So when he’d finished making it __He must sit down and play. Viracocha made the...

A Poem for Helen Vendler (1933-2024): ‘Valediction for a Critic’ by Margaret Coats

The Society
September 16, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
34 Comments
. Valediction for a Critic "She can second-guess the sixth sense of a poem." —Seamus Heaney "I thought—and still think—that all people would like poetry if they were only brought up with it and shown how...

Two Anapestic Poems on Summer’s Heat, by C.B. Anderson

The Society
September 15, 2024
Humor, Poetry
18 Comments
. Light Wave Heatwave When the temperature rises, a worker despises __The withering glare of the sun. When the sweat’s so profuse that our skin is a sluice, __Even golf and croquet ain’t no fun. A jug of...

‘Kristallnacht—The Night of Broken Glass’: A Poem by Brian Yapko

The Society
September 15, 2024
Blank Verse, Culture, Poetry
31 Comments
. Kristallnacht---The Night of Broken Glass I tell my son he must not make a sound. I whisper, “Karl, this attic is our haven. Don’t cry! Don’t let the brown shirts know we’re here!” Alfrida’s...

‘To September’ and Other Autumn Poems by Adam Sedia

The Society
September 14, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
13 Comments
. To September Your fields and groves are lushly emerald still; Your flowers still waft their scents and vaunt their flair; Your blazing rays still generously spill; Your winds still gently breathe their balmy...

‘Let’s Laugh at Leftists’: A Poem by Joshua C. Frank

The Society
September 14, 2024
Poetry, Satire
12 Comments
. Let’s Laugh at Leftists with a nod to Joseph S. Salemi Step right up and see the freaks, Who call sane values mere antiques! Hear them weep and moan and whine When you won’t ape the party line! See the...

‘Catullus XI’: A Translation by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
September 13, 2024
Love Poems, Poetry, Sapphic Verse, Translation
14 Comments
. Catullus XI Furius and Aurelius, my two friends, Whether I go to farthest India, The shore by ever-pounding Eastern seas Beaten by tide-waves, To Hyrcania, or Arabia’s pillowed ease, Scythia,...

‘When Your Foe Is Perilously Strong’: A Villanelle by Maria Panayi

The Society
September 13, 2024
Culture, Poetry, Villanelle
13 Comments
. When Your Foe Is Perilously Strong When your foe is perilously strong It mightn’t be too preposterous or wrong To let him think that you’re a friend of his. If you’re a minority and somewhat...

‘Solitaire’ and Other Poetry by Stephen M. Dickey

The Society
September 12, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
17 Comments
. Solitaire A fresh tableau gives hope of gaining traction In the builds. Shortly, though, you see you’re beat. It’s like life: strangely rich the satisfaction Of having dealt your own unique...

‘There Are Masters and Then There Are Masters’ and Other Poetry by Phillip Whidden

The Society
September 12, 2024
Culture, Poetry
19 Comments
. There Are Masters and Then There Are Masters The moth’s desire for muzziness of moon Looms large in some men’s minds.  They seem to think That muddled paradox, that Indian rune Philosophy, is fine...

‘Over the Hill’: A Trimeter Villanelle and Other Poetry by Cheryl Corey

The Society
September 11, 2024
Beauty, Poetry, Villanelle
12 Comments
. Over the Hill Now that you’re "over the hill," Relax. Enjoy the view. Life’s a beach, so chill. Work? You’ve had your fill. It’s time to just do you; And now that you’re over the hill, You’ve...

‘Flora’s England’: A Poem by Isabella Simmonds

The Society
September 11, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
18 Comments
. Flora's England The hedgerows droop with bulbous berries black As feathers of the Raven in the sun Of August, glowing hot upon his back. He soars above the corn, its growing done. While Lammas songs are sung...

‘A Prayer in Three Quatrains’: A Poem by William Harrison

The Society
September 10, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
10 Comments
. A Prayer in Three Quatrains Too well I know, I am a son of error; Too well I know the weakness of my frame. Yet still I plead, Lord, save me from this terror; And of Thy mercy, blot out all my shame. A...

‘The Traveler’ and Other Poetry by Shindy Cai

The Society
September 9, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
5 Comments
. The Traveler I walked along a dusty road, The night was long and cruel and cold. When suddenly upon the path, I came across a speck of gold. I picked it up in sheer delight, And stumbled to a broken inn. Yet...

‘Common Brief’: A Poem by T.M. Moore

The Society
September 9, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
10 Comments
. Common Brief I watch the leaves awaken in the wood behind our home, as daybreak crawls along the trees, and shafts of sunlight penetrate the canopy. The leaves are motionless, but soon enough they’ll shake...

‘An Awkward Endorsement’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 8, 2024
Poetry, Satire
32 Comments
. An Awkward Endorsement on Putin's recent endorsement of Kamala Harris for president There's no disputing, Putin's put the boot in. In rooting for Ms. Harris, he has sent The press into a tizzy. Now they're...

‘Crystal Spires or Lake of Fire?’: A Poem by Peter Venable

The Society
September 8, 2024
Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. Crystal Spires or Lake of Fire? The day shall come. For some, just like a thief That sneaks unknown. An accident and grief. __Our flesh and spirit sever. For many souls, slow as a morphine drip Their life...

‘Nehemiah Questions Robert Frost About Walls’: A Poem by Cynthia Erlandson

The Society
September 8, 2024
Culture, Poetry
12 Comments
. Nehemiah Questions Robert Frost About Walls “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.” ---Robert Frost, “Mending Wall” “Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burnt with fire. Come and let...

‘I Have Waited for September’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
September 7, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
26 Comments
. I Have Waited for September I have waited for September When the stars shine silver white; When the sun with trepidation Chases off the cold of night. Farmers seek to reap their harvest: All the golden grain...

‘Empty Words’: A Poem by James A. Tweedie

The Society
September 7, 2024
Culture, Poetry
9 Comments
. Empty Words There was a time not long agoWhen insults led to deadly duels.Today, on streaming videoI saw men call each other fools. And women did the same, and worse,Forsaking wit and eloquenceWith every...

‘Cicada Serenade’ and Other Summer Poems by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 6, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Villanelle
27 Comments
. Cicada Serenade Boys hang their beat on the heat of the summer. Sticky days twang with their thick, tinny ring. Banshee crescendos and thrums from each drummer Shiver mesquites where the mockingbirds...
poem/howard/love poems

‘Supply and Demand’ and Other Poetry by Benjamin Cannicott Shavitz

The Society
September 6, 2024
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
3 Comments
. Supply and Demand Infinite happiness isn’t available. Something so precious just isn’t that scalable. Boundless dismay, though, is much more attainable. Being uncoveted, pain is quite gainable. . . Off...

‘Where Virtue Dies’ and Other Poetry by Warren Bonham

The Society
September 5, 2024
Poetry, Satire
9 Comments
. Where Virtue Dies In the city of Washington, where virtue dies in the immoral sewage as it putrefies, those who tell the most brazen, despicable lies, and accumulate sound bites that self-aggrandize, trade...
poem/binns/dante

‘Dante in Modern Times’ and Other Poetry by Rob Fried

The Society
September 5, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Dante, Poetry
14 Comments
. Dante in Modern Times If I were Dante, and the quest were mine To reprise chapters of his Comedie For modern times, perhaps no less Divine For being steeped in modern tragedie, I’d start with Hell, where...

‘Recipe for a Poem’ by Sally Cook

The Society
September 4, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
30 Comments
. Recipe for a Poem Scraped clean of glib and warty observation, On pristine paper place one piercing thought. Add in the fragrant oil of concentration, Simmer in meaning. When the blend you sought Requires...

‘Coupled in Rhyme’: A Poem by Jonathan Kinsman

The Society
September 4, 2024
Love Poems, Poetry
10 Comments
. Coupled in Rhyme She sees me better than I do, so in her sight I strive to be worthy to lie with, never to lie to. She knows me better than my best, brings comfort to my days, makes manifest the loving balm...

‘The High Priest’s Homily’: A Poem by Shaun C. Duncan

The Society
September 3, 2024
Culture, Poetry, Science
20 Comments
. The High Priest's Homily Once Man, in thrall to ignorance, believed the world was round, But now we know that everything is one vast sea of sound, __And what seemed solid ground Is but an anxious emptiness,...

‘Clouds Over Skye’: A Poem by Martin Rizley

The Society
September 3, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
12 Comments
. Clouds Over Skye Vast mounting clouds rise over peak and vale; Their shifting billows filter noonday´s beams, Which pierce the spectral haze, so wispy pale, And flood the hollow, where a wee tarn...

‘Circling In’: A Poem in Terza Rima by Jeffrey Essmann

The Society
September 2, 2024
Culture, Poetry, Terza Rima
9 Comments
. Circling In It’s time (I tell myself) we circled in;Gave up at last the overwrought concernThat pulls us this-way-that till we begin To lose the human power to discernWhat truly holds and what has little...

A Poem for Labor Day and Others by Christine de Pisan, Translated by Margaret Coats

The Society
September 2, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Translation
25 Comments
. For All Who Labor by Christine de Pisan (1364-c. 1430) Lady, fair branch where God’s grace blooms,Our labors, Saint Bernard assumes,Are benefited by your taskTo help those who ply hoes or broomsWhen night...

‘Garden Party’ and Other Poems by C.B. Anderson

The Society
September 1, 2024
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
15 Comments
. Garden Party The sparrows near the feeder flit and preen While predators politely quit the scene. A mockingbird is chirping up a storm, And soft drinks on the cart are getting warm. The worms beneath the...

‘Married to the Mob’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
September 1, 2024
Culture, Poetry, Satire
24 Comments
. Married to the Mob He’s going out again today. What for? His hundredth chance to settle some old score? “Damn this! Screw that! Free cash! Free hash! More war!” It seems some things just never change,...
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