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      Beauty, Culture, Haiku and Senryu, Poetry, Poetry Contests
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Beauty

Home
Poetry
Beauty

‘Street 3/4’: A Poem by Shamik Banerjee

The Society
July 8, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
10 Comments
. Street 3/4 On both sides of this street, there are small stores Of groceries, canned food, medicine, and toys. Beside a Hindu shrine whose iron doors Are always fanned, an art school for teen boys Displays...

‘The Lord of His Castle’: A Poem by Brian Yapko

The Society
July 7, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
38 Comments
. The Lord of His Castle Setting: King Stephen’s siege of Newbury Castle, England during the English civil war known as “The Anarchy.” The year is 1152 A.D. Strategic though this castle is to me I would...

‘A Console Table’: A Villanelle by Julia Griffin

The Society
July 6, 2024
Beauty, Poetry, Villanelle
12 Comments
. A Console Table after a Google entry A console table in the entryway __Provides a focus for a guest Inside your home: a welcome, you might say. A strong impression’s vital to convey, __And for this...

‘Dandelion Dreams’: A Poem by Martin Rizley

The Society
July 5, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
21 Comments
. Dandelion Dreams ---to Melody, on the occasion of her fifth birthday I see her, through the window, picking flowers. Adrift upon a sea of green, she towers Above the honeybees that hover over The rippling...

‘The Convert’: A Poem by Benjamin Cannicott Shavitz

The Society
July 5, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
8 Comments
. The Convert “Uh, Professor, I don’t get it, Why do people choose to read that? Does it just not fit my taste?” She said, “If you really let it, This will sway you. You’ll concede that This has...

‘It Goes Without Saying’: A July 4th Poem by Warren Bonham

The Society
July 4, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
11 Comments
. It Goes Without Saying "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and...

‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’: A Poem by Brian Yapko

The Society
July 4, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
38 Comments
. . Battle Hymn of the Republic The Lord doth come; the grapes of wrath are crushed! Behold His fiery sword of Victory. He heartens those whose voices have been hushed To loudly shout our rage: “We shall be...

‘Militant Books’ and Other Poetry by Skye Campbell

The Society
July 2, 2024
Beauty, Poetry, Villanelle
6 Comments
. . Militant Books Marshaled ranks of silent books Formed on shelves as in brigade, Fill the wooden dusty nooks Waiting for their next parade. Untamed spirits hide inside, Lurking out of watcher’s...

‘Three Views of Venus’: A Poem from Houghton Hall, by Margaret Coats

The Society
June 30, 2024
Beauty, Ekphrastic, Poetry
20 Comments
. Three Views of Venus "When you’ve got a goddess, make good use of her. —local guide, Green Velvet Bedchamber at Houghton Hall, Norfolk “Ah, Mars, my dear, lay down that spear, and wage Love in the...

‘Soulmate’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick

The Society
June 29, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
11 Comments
.  Soulmate Your spouse ideally is your best friend,Providing love and laughter end to end,Supporting and enhancing all day through,But still at times your soulmate must be you. . . Ultimate Question Some...

‘To the Full Moon’: A Poem by Adam Sedia

The Society
June 29, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
18 Comments
. To the Full Moon Heavenly voyager, you course Across the skies’ infinity--- The calm, serene celestial sea, Which yields before your silent force--- Traversing the shoreless expanse Of unplumbed...

‘The Pink of Gentle Hermione and White of John Paul II’: A Poem by Phillip Whidden

The Society
June 28, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
13 Comments
. The Pink of Gentle Hermione and White of John Paul II The lodger pauses, as he leaves, to gaze At blossoms in the border at the front— The blooms of roses, saintlike pink—appraise Them as a Monday man...

‘Savannah Blossoms’: A Poem by Margaret Brinton

The Society
June 27, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
7 Comments
. Savannah Blossoms Blossoms dress the trees __On Southern parkways Where petals glow like silk __If skies are fair, And a busy stir of bees __Within the nectar Allows the hummingbirds __A rightful share. The...

‘The Lazarus Effect’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann

The Society
June 26, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
10 Comments
. The Lazarus Effect Until you’re raised, you’ve no idea how dead You were, how long you’d been beyond the scope Of human give and take; how poorly read You were in all the texts of simple hope. And yet...

‘Spanish Moss’ and Other Florida Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
June 25, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
32 Comments
. Spanish Moss A thicket hides the remnants of a grange, An antebellum place of ghosts and rue--- A gothic ruin---tropical and strange Which even egrets shun. The faintest clue Of why is whispered when the...

‘Memento Belli’: A Poem by Alison Jennings

The Society
June 24, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
6 Comments
. Memento Belli _My father had mementoes of the war; _he kept them in a box above his clothes, _where also hung a uniform he wore _when he was someone in that time ago _till trauma came, caused by the weight...

‘Flamingo’: A Poem by Jeremiah Johnson

The Society
June 23, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
23 Comments
. Flamingo The S-curve of that sinuous neck,The stern black tip of that great bill,The blue eye with which we must reck-on like a gaudy monarch’s will. Not Disney’s giddy croquet bird,The one which lolls...
poem/sedia/beauty

‘Ora Pro Nobis’: A Poem by Jeff Minick

The Society
June 21, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
12 Comments
. Ora Pro Nobis pray for us The dead die when we living let them die; We breathing clasp to hearts our breathless dead; We pack them fresh-embalmed on icy beds. In silent rooms they speak our names. They...

‘The Snare Drummer’s Plight’ and Other Poetry by Martin Elster

The Society
June 20, 2024
Beauty, Music, Poetry
2 Comments
. The Snare Drummer’s Plight The highlight of the evening is Bolero. The snare drummer begins the famous beat, the marrow of the land of the torero. The players, who have sprayed themselves with...

‘A Precious Wife Is Like Fine Wine’ and Other Poetry by Martin Rizley

The Society
June 19, 2024
Beauty, Love Poems, Poetry
14 Comments
. A Precious Wife Is Like Fine Wine A precious wife is like fine wine, made mellow with the years, Aged in a barrel made of smiles and laughter, sighs and tears. Though time may etch its lines upon her once...

Five Rose Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, Translated by Alan Orsborn

The Society
June 18, 2024
Beauty, Music, Poetry, Translation
9 Comments
. . Five Rose Poems by Rainer Maria Rilke translated by Alan Orsborn . The Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926), writing in both German and French, penned 24 French poems about roses that were...

‘A Sonnet for My Son on Father’s Day’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
June 16, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
25 Comments
. A Sonnet for My Son on Father’s Day You coo her name in buoyant notes of joy Then watch her toddle, tickled by her grin. She spies the bug-eyed crab---her leggy toy In Daddy’s hands all set to twirl and...

A Father’s Day Sonnet by Evan Mantyk

The Society
June 16, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
16 Comments
. A Sonnet ---for my father, an avid gardener and feeder of wildlife, who recently underwent hip surgery No one shall intervene this afternoon. The well fed squirrel squats upon his branch; The chipmunk chills...

‘The Doctor’: A Father’s Day Poem by Shamik Banerjee

The Society
June 16, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
22 Comments
. The Doctor An expert in each area, this man's The doctor for all things in disrepair— Tea kettles, doorknobs, hafts, electric fans... His fingers soothe their maladies and wear. No institute or training...

‘Distant Thunder’ and Other Poetry by Adam Sedia

The Society
June 15, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
23 Comments
. Distant Thunder Oppressive heat in heavy air; Oppressive light from summer skies; White clouds glow with a garish glare, __Menacing as they rise; Oppressive stillness reigns: no breeze Rustles the leafy,...

Poetry from and about Xu Zhimo, by Margaret Coats

The Society
June 13, 2024
Beauty, Poetry, Translation
30 Comments
. Meeting Xu Zhimo by Margaret Coats Three Chinese girls behind me in the line Escape King’s College Chapel evensong; They show a phone, ask where, at once decline Sought-after seats, to rush away...

‘Cape Canaveral’s Pioneers Asleep’ and Other Poetry by Phillip Whidden

The Society
June 10, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
7 Comments
. Cape Canaveral’s Pioneers Asleep I wonder if the lights across lagoon Waves, little though they are, the lights and waves, Portend some goodness underneath the moon Like new moon light on marble...

Two Strange Poems by Joseph S. Salemi (with a Note)

The Society
June 9, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Essays, Poetry
18 Comments
. The Universal Horoscope and Zodiac Twelve figures in the blazoned zodiac Set by the gods in their unchanging track Spin in a regulated, yearly round Until an infant’s primal, wailing sound Puts an end to...

‘Winter into Spring Sonnet’ by Jedediah Smith

The Society
June 8, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
2 Comments
. Winter into Spring Sonnet The garbage dump outside the town is white as winter’s snowfall claims the castoff chair from autumn’s cluttered leavings, hid from sight in drifts, the broken dinette set left...
poem/freeman/humor

‘Admonition’: A Poem by Edward Stansell

The Society
June 7, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
23 Comments
. Admonition It is a form of madness To long for days of yore. And bitter is the sadness O'er those who've gone before. Now we, ourselves, must wander The dark Stygian shore And cross the river yonder, But...

‘Poetry Is Warfare’: A Poem by Gigi Ryan

The Society
June 6, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
20 Comments
. Poetry Is Warfare A poem is the writer’s battle pleaAgainst asceticism’s barren call.Truth and beauty (air that poets breathe)Needn’t acquiesce to Adam’s fall.A poem with its structure,...

‘Today My Brown Sedan Is Two’ and Other Poetry by Shamik Banerjee

The Society
June 6, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
10 Comments
. Today My Brown Sedan Is Two Today, my brown sedan is two, But I behave as if it's twenty, So freezing by a showroom's door, I scan the models—new; aplenty. And busy with an old dollop Of mud, there goes...

‘To a Cicada’ and Other Poetry by Martin Rizley

The Society
June 5, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
23 Comments
. To a Cicada So, welcome back, you ancient thing! Some time ago, your tribe took wing; But here you are again, my friend, These summer nights with me to spend. Some may have thought you'd left for good, But...

‘The Harmonies of Holst’: A Poem by Mary Jane Myers

The Society
June 4, 2024
Beauty, Blank Verse, Music, Poetry
10 Comments
. The Harmonies of Holst While doing errands, driving roundabout, I listen to the classic music station. An orchestra plays a courtly lyric song. What can it be? I know it well, but how? Perhaps a ballad...
poem/byrant/gossip

‘They Say Somebody Said This; It Must Be True!’ and Other Poems by Janice Canerdy

The Society
June 4, 2024
Beauty, Poetry, Satire
8 Comments
. . They Say Somebody Said This; It Must Be True! Some people love to share with you news they’ve been told, but may not know all juicy details. They’ll ask, “Do you know more stuff? What have you...

‘The Figure Skater’ and Other Poems by Daniel Kemper

The Society
June 3, 2024
Beauty, Music, Poetry
14 Comments
. The Figure Skater Across the frozen way, stamping, sprinting, faster as hurried steps display something that she'll master her body starts to sway faster, ever faster. Wind and its turbulence eddying over...

‘Before Checkmate’: A Poem by Peter Venable

The Society
June 3, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
5 Comments
. Before Checkmate “Tis all a Checker board of nights and days Where Destiny with men for Pieces plays: Hither and thither moves, and mates, and slays, And one by one back in the closet lays.” ― Omar...

‘At Dorr Point’: A Poem by Kevin Farnham

The Society
June 2, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
6 Comments
. At Dorr Point Our far too brief excursion about to cease,We walked the woods to Dorr Point—one last partingImmersion in resuscitating peace.But what we witnessed at trail’s end was startling:Jangling...

‘Selling Short’ and Other Poems by C.B. Anderson

The Society
June 1, 2024
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Villanelle
14 Comments
. Selling Short The winter wind’s a shot across your brow, An addend to the sense of deficit You wrestle with inside the here and now. You’re happy only in the preterit Or future tense—because you hate...

‘Out Walking’: A Poem by Margaret Coats

The Society
May 30, 2024
Beauty, Poetry
33 Comments
. Out Walking I hear the heath alive to free A heart from hearthside reverie, _And with my rambling feet __Start out in stealth, Intent on sunnyside-up health _And daybreak flurry fleet. Let’s shake...
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  1. Brian Yapko on ‘Not All Angels Play the Harp’: A Poem by Roy E. PetersonJuly 19, 2025

    I have a personal affinity for Daniel and so greatly enjoyed this poem, Roy. The fact is, people of faith…

  2. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘One Dumb Mistake’: A Sestina by M.D. SkeenJuly 19, 2025

    Such a sad tale of what one mistake can cost a person and a warning to all of us at…

  3. Priscilla King on ‘Living Dead’: A Poem by James A. TweedieJuly 18, 2025

    It has a formal rhythm. Isn't it possible to think of *bad* classical poetry? (Not that this is what comes…

  4. Erin Zampaglione on The Society of Classical Poets 2025 Haiku CompetitionJuly 18, 2025

    avocado tree wide and low, heavy with fruit invites small climbers red rose petals fall do I mourn lost youth…

  5. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘Living Dead’: A Poem by James A. TweedieJuly 18, 2025

    There were exactly 60 respondents in that survey, of which about one third (20) were non-members of the SCP. And…

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