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    • 'Sudan, 2005---On the Death of Dr. John Garang': A Poem by Paul A. Freeman

      The Society
      October 15, 2024
      Culture, Poetry
      9 Comments
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    • ‘I Would Say Yes’ and Other Poetry by Gigi Ryan

      The Society
      June 20, 2025
      4
    • ‘The Comings and Goings of Heaven and Earth’: A Poem by David L. Williams

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      June 20, 2025
      3
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      ‘Tilted Tales’: Three Poems by Susan Jarvis Bryant

      The Society
      June 19, 2025
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      ‘Enigma’: A Poem by Steve Cooper

      The Society
      June 19, 2025
      4
    • ‘Periwinkle’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann

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      June 18, 2025
      9
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      June 18, 2025
      15
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    • Winners of the 'Napa Valley Winery' Ekphrastic Poetry Contest

      The Society
      November 15, 2020
      Beauty, Ekphrastic, Poetry, Poetry Contests
      13 Comments
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    • Winners of Friends of Falun Gong 2025 Poetry Competition Announced

      The Society
      May 13, 2025
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      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

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

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      September 29, 2024
      14
    • The 2024 Society of Classical Poets International Poetry Competition

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      August 31, 2024
      16
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Author The Society

The Society

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

‘Leave Our Kids Alone!’: On COVID-19 Vaccines for Children, by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 20, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Poetry, Rondeau Redoublé
27 Comments
. Leave Our Kids Alone!  “Fauci: Officials Will Decide on COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendation for Children Aged 5 to 11 Soon” ---Epoch Times Headline 9/20/2021 The mask is off.   Come see the twisted...

‘Taking Flight’ by David Watt

The Society
September 20, 2021
Love Poems, Poetry
19 Comments
. The relentless rain sought to admonish those creatures who dared venture out. The wind carried a sorrowful message, determined to generate doubt. A less desperate man would have faltered on reaching that...

‘We Return’ by Christian J. Weaver

The Society
September 19, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
4 Comments
. Raise your quill to the sky like a madman’s harpoon— Super tempered in blood and the blackest of wine Is the blade of our mania, flashing and white As a lightning bolt fresh from the night. Raise your...

‘Biden Blues’ for the 4th Worldwide Demonstration for Freedom, by Jack DesBois

The Society
September 19, 2021
Culture, Music, Poetry
24 Comments
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhNIScHrUOM&t=4s . Biden Blues When I was just a kid,I’d shout and I’d refuse.My mama taught me, be polite,Taught me the words to use:No thank you, Joe; no thank you,...

‘El Chapo’ and ‘Jack the Hat’ by Jeff Eardley

The Society
September 18, 2021
Humor, Poetry
24 Comments
. El Chapo El Chapo was a criminal, a very nasty bloke. A dealer in Amphetamines, along with Crack and Coke. He plied his trade in Mexico, where guns and drugs are rife. He made a pile of money and enjoyed the...

‘California Wildfires’ to the Tune of ‘California Dreamin,’ by Margaret Coats

The Society
September 17, 2021
Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry
25 Comments
. California Wildfires to the tune of “California Dreamin’” All her landscape bronzed, Her breezes ashen gray, What can Cali dream on, Despoiled and rechauffée? Never safe, too sultry In her disarray ....

‘Cancel Madame Butterfly’ by Brian Yapko

The Society
September 17, 2021
Culture, Humor, Performing Arts, Poetry, Villanelle
30 Comments
. Cancel Madame Butterfly today! Such racist music cannot soothe the soul. Let’s never show another hate-filled play. The King and I must also cause dismay Since white composers can’t know ethnic...

‘The Lyme Brain’s Refrain’ and Other Poetry by Jack DesBois

The Society
September 16, 2021
Children's, Culture, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. The Lyme Brain’s Refrain, or At the Cupboard What am I doing? What am I doing? What am I, what am I, what am I doing? I’m doing something—something I’m doing— But what am I, what am I, what am I...

Complete the poem: ‘The Tyranny of Fear and Lies…’

The Society
September 15, 2021
Culture, Poetry, Poetry Contests
47 Comments
This challenge comes from New York poet Joe Tessitore. He asks you to use the following couplet in a poem. Post your version in the comments section below: . How very much do I despise The tyranny of fear...

‘Oh No… UFOs’ by Mike Bryant

The Society
September 14, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
21 Comments
. "The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary."  ---H.L....

‘Regrets and Repercussions’ by Peter Hartley

The Society
September 13, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
27 Comments
. Regrets and Repercussions Inconsequential are the things we do Sometimes, or things we don’t, we don’t know why. So will we wonder far too late and sigh To think that if we knew we could undo The past...

A Poem on Vaccine Mandates: ‘Freedom Blighters’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 12, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Humor, Poetry
51 Comments
. “Of all the tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive.” ---C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology  It’s said that life’s a bitch and...

On An Australian Desert Town: ‘The Station View Itch’ by David Watt

The Society
September 12, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
. Where meagre rains are tinted red From dust the Western winds have borne, The publican to stranger said: “We’re fortunate that here is shorn A class of wool unique in hue— The pre-dyed fleece of...
poem/cooper/culture

A Poem for Sept. 11, 2021: ‘Twenty Years’ by James A. Tweedie

The Society
September 11, 2021
Culture, Poetry, Terrorism
6 Comments
. Twenty years . . . So long ago as that? When fantasy became reality And falling human bodies turned to splat. Death in living color on TV. Maxwell’s silver hammer coming down On our collective metaphoric...

Poetry for the 20th Anniversary of 9/11 Terrorist Attacks, by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 11, 2021
Culture, Poetry, Rondeau, Terrorism
24 Comments
. Heroes Where are they now---the bold who brave The choke of smoke to ways that pave The path to breath beneath wide skies? Where are the ears that hear the cries Of souls they fight death’s bite to...

Two Literary Poems by James A. Tweedie

The Society
September 10, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Education, Humor, Poetry
9 Comments
. A Summary of Oedipus the King by Sophocles, and Notes This play, no doubt to Sophocles’ surprise, When first performed took only Second Prize. Summary King Oedipus of Thebes, both good and wise— Or...

‘Future Shock’ and Other Poetry by S.A. Todd

The Society
September 9, 2021
Culture, Poetry
7 Comments
. Future Shock Our newfound World is happy, calm and clean The human factor, countered by machine. Where every thought is carefully processed and value to the Groupthink goals assessed. All individuality,...

‘The World’s Greatest Love’ by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
September 8, 2021
Beauty, Love Poems, Poetry
13 Comments
. from Eternal Spring Once upon a time in space God contrived the human race, Gave two things to help us cope: One was love, the other hope. Man was destined for a fall, But love sustained him after all. When...

Musings on Dali’s ‘Christ of St. John of the Cross,’ by Peter Hartley

The Society
September 7, 2021
Art, Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry
18 Comments
. I This crucifixion hides the anguish. Racked With pain, belied by bloodless hands and feet; Intolerable torments, they compete As muscles in that arching back contract. His hanging head forestalls all eye...

‘A Black Swan in Tiananmen Square’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
September 6, 2021
Culture, Poetry
28 Comments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pw5AJQgDeQQ&feature=emb_imp_woyt . What can it mean---this swan of black? What cryptic codes must eggheads crack? What will this ebon-feathered thing Of beauty...
poem/coats/beauty

‘On Lonely Paths’ and Other Poetry by Martin Rizley

The Society
September 6, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
9 Comments
. On Lonely Paths On lonely paths I like to walk, beneath pure azure skies, Where white clouds stretch like streaks of chalk, and one lone eagle flies; I watch him gliding overhead and feel as blithe and...

The 21 Best Haiku of 2021

The Society
September 5, 2021
Beauty, Best Poems, From the Society, Haiku and Senryu, Poetry, Poetry Contests
43 Comments
Winner and Runners-up of the Society of Classical Poets 2021 Haiku Competition Judged by Margaret Coats (see her remarks below) See all entrants here. . WINNER . Fog enshrouds the nightWoven in the heavy...

In Memory of Sean Howard: A Poem by James A. Tweedie

The Society
September 5, 2021
Beauty, Covid-19, Poetry
9 Comments
. Sean who passed away this week in Honolulu, Hawaii Although there are a few who’ll grieve and mourn, Who’ll celebrate his life and then move on, The unexpected loss will be hard borne By those who called...

Thomas Jefferson, Poet: An Essay by Michael Curtis

The Society
September 5, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Essays, Poetry
4 Comments
. Most schoolgirls, street-people, attorneys, and Bachelors of Art are aware that Thomas Jefferson composed what is likely the most widely-known, oft-repeated sentence in American history: . We hold these...

‘Prayer of the Guilty Poet’ and Other Poetry by Joe Tessitore

The Society
September 4, 2021
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. Prayer of the Guilty Poet Before I put these words to ink, Be still, my pen, and let me think. Are they the balm to expiate, Or bomb indeed, to detonate? . . A City Short Make no excuse, I heard a...

‘Know How to Mow’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
September 3, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
19 Comments
. Know How to Mow __You want to raise your rates, you say? __Your crying poor is killing me, __for what it’s worth.  Just yesterday, __when you were blithely billing me __for services you rendered on __a...

A Poem in Honor of the 13 U.S. Servicemen Who Died in Afghanistan, by Bruce Dale Wise

The Society
September 2, 2021
Culture, Poetry
24 Comments
. With Coffins at the Dover Air Force Base: 29 August 2021 On Sunday, Biden traveled to the Dover Air Force Base to pay respect for thirteen service members who were slain. But grieving parents of the dead...

‘Allgibberish’ and Other Poetry by Phil S. Rogers

The Society
September 2, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
9 Comments
. Allgibberish (I Saw a Man Who Wasn't There) after “Antigonish” (“I Met a Man Who Wasn't There”) by William Hughes Mearns Yesterday in great despair, I saw a man who wasn't there. He's on the news...

The Society of Classical Poets 2022 Poetry Competition

The Society
September 1, 2021
From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests
17 Comments
. WINNERS ANNOUNCED HERE. "Select, all ye who write, a subject fit, A subject not too mighty for your wit! Before you lay your shoulders to the wheel, Weigh well their strength, and all their weakness...

2022 High School Poetry Competition

The Society
September 1, 2021
From the Society, High School Submissions, Poetry, Poetry Contests
2 Comments
“Select, all ye who write, a subject fit, A subject not too mighty for your wit! Before you lay your shoulders to the wheel, Weigh well their strength, and all their weakness feel!” —Horace (65-8...

2022 Poetry Translation Competition

The Society
September 1, 2021
From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests, Translation
“Select, all ye who write, a subject fit, A subject not too mighty for your wit! Before you lay your shoulders to the wheel, Weigh well their strength, and all their weakness feel!” —Horace (65-8...
poem/anderson/afghanistan

‘The Afghan Plight’ by Satyananda Sarangi

The Society
August 31, 2021
Alexandroid, Culture, Poetry, Terrorism
20 Comments
. The starlit sky is filled with smoke ______and men succumb To dread, while folded hands invoke ______to overcome This awful plight; yet prayers heard ______through fervid faith Are breath for Satan....

A Translation of the Peach Garden Oath from Romance of the Three Kingdoms

The Society
August 31, 2021
Culture, Human Rights in China, Poetry, Translation
14 Comments
. The Peach Garden Oath This oath of fellowship is an iconic moment in the first chapter of the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, by Luo Guanzhong (14th century), in which the main heroes of the...

A Vaccine Mandate Protest Song by Jack DesBois

The Society
August 30, 2021
Covid-19, Music, Poetry, Song Lyrics, Video
91 Comments
. Waking Up (Freedom Doesn't Come in a Can) A Protest Song Written and Performed by Jack DesBois I was lying in my bed, Waiting for the day to start, Waiting for the sun to get me on my way, And I...

Neglected Gems: The Poetry of Walter de la Mare

The Society
August 30, 2021
Essays, Poetry
11 Comments
by Adam Sedia The life of Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) spans earthshattering changes in history and art. The England into which he was born was a colonial empire stretching across the globe. Horse-drawn...

‘Observations of a Former Victim’ and Other Poetry by Russel Winick

The Society
August 29, 2021
Culture, Poetry
16 Comments
. Observations of a Former Victim You may think me insensitive or witless, But more and more it seems the case these days, That victimhood is run up on a flagpole, Including in some overreaching ways. Of...

‘One or the Other’ by Norma Pain

The Society
August 28, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
22 Comments
. “Make a decision,” is what me ma said, As she wearily plucked at each feather, ‘Er old gnarled fingers rough and red And clumsily workin’ together. “Yer’ll not get another chance like this, Two...

A Major Problem: An Essay by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
August 27, 2021
Culture, Essays, Poetry
89 Comments
. "American pragmatism insists that words are for use, not enjoyment; American puritanism insists that expression is a duty, not a pleasure." —Richard A. Lanham Everyone knows that poems work on different...

‘The Gospel According to Galahad’ by Julian Woodruff

The Society
August 27, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Humor, Poetry
18 Comments
. The arrogant are all about these days. How disrespectful are their callous ways! They go about as freely as you please— No mask, no vaccine, carrying disease And likely death wherever they may go (Which...

Bedtime Prayer Poetry Challenge

The Society
August 26, 2021
Humor, Poetry, Poetry Challenge, Poetry Contests
108 Comments
. This challenge comes form poet James A. Tweedie: Perhaps the most familiar of all formal, English-language poems is the classic 18th century bedtime prayer that reads: Now I lay me down to sleepI pray the...
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