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Poetry
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‘Carcassonne’ and Other Poetry by Gustave Nadaud, Translated by Joshua C. Frank

The Society
September 21, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Music, Poetry, Translation
18 Comments
. Carcassonne by Gustave Nadaud (1820-1893) Translated by Joshua C. Frank “At sixty years, I’m getting old, And I’ve been working all my days Not being able to behold Fulfillment of my wishing gaze. I...

‘Paracelsus’ by Adam Sedia

The Society
September 18, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. Paracelsus Creating man demands not much: Combine the four base elements In right amounts; the lodestone’s touch At once should jolt him into sense. First Earth, in greatest quantity: For what is flesh...

‘Last Place Winner’ by Guy Warner

The Society
September 17, 2022
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
9 Comments
. Last Place Winner after winning the 30-34 age group with a last-place finish in a 5K Inhaling frozen oxygen, he rounds The final turn. No cheers, just muffled sounds. He barely wobbles ‘cross the finish...

‘The Salt Spring Island Trolls’ by Norma Pain

The Society
September 14, 2022
Humor, Poetry
30 Comments
. The Salt Spring Island Trolls I have a boat In Fulford Bay. She does not float To my dismay. She lies forlorn Upon the shore, Ragged and torn To sail no more. An invalid All full of holes, Inhabited By empty...

‘Obedience’ by Giuseppe Gioachino Belli, Translated by Joseph S. Salemi (with a Long Note)

The Society
September 13, 2022
Culture, Essays, Humor, Poetry, Translation
16 Comments
. Obedience by Giuseppe Gioachino Belli (1791-1863) translated from Romanesco by Joseph S. Salemi It’s not true, Christians, what you have been told— That you need endless patience to obey. Obedience...

‘The Adjudication’ and Other Poetry by Anthony Watts

The Society
September 11, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
12 Comments
. The Adjudication “I weep for you,” the Walrus said: __“I deeply sympathise.” With sobs and tears he sorted out __Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief __Before his streaming...

‘Who Shaves the Barber?’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
September 7, 2022
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
20 Comments
. Who Shaves the Barber? shaves all those, and those only, who do not shave themselves.  —Bertrand Russell The barber had a gift for cutting hair, And once a month the men who lived in town Would take a...

‘Cracked Liberty Bell’ and Other Poetry by Peter Venable

The Society
September 6, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
2 Comments
. Cracked Liberty Bell July the 4th—Independence. Many bands play. Parades pass by— Fireworks fly. __Rocket’s red glare . . . 1900. A song was sung From old to young: Lift every voice— They sang,...

‘Food for Thought’ and Other Food-Related Poetry by Anna J. Arredondo

The Society
September 1, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Limerick, Poetry
24 Comments
. Food for Thought A Culinary Tale There once was a man wan and pallid, he Suffered from a mysterious malady: __He ate carrots and greens, __Ripe tomatoes and beans, But eschewed anything that's not...

A Conceit or Just a Similitude? Two Brief Illustrations from Sir John Suckling, by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
August 25, 2022
Culture, Essays, Humor, Poetry
13 Comments
. A Conceit or Just a Similitude? Two Brief Illustrations from Sir John Suckling by Joseph S. Salemi One of the earliest things one learns in poetry is the distinction between a simile and a metaphor. In...

‘Daedalus’ and Other Poetry by Morrison Handley-Schachler

The Society
August 24, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
7 Comments
. Daedalus Icarus, you have disobeyed, As all men do, and dearly paid. Too recklessly your heart did fly Between high seas and louring sky. The wings I gave you, it is true, But what would you have had me...
poem/gosse/humor

‘Poetry Lessons’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
August 22, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
26 Comments
. Poetry Lessons The poet said he’d show and never tell--- His imagery would mesmerize and blaze. In quatrains laced with Aphrodite’s spell, His sibilance would scintillate and daze. The poet said...

‘Thank You Note from An Assisted Living Facility’ and Other Poetry on Aging by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
August 22, 2022
Humor, Poetry
18 Comments
. Thank You Note from an Assisted Living Facility Thank you for the Happy Birthday. Never thought I'd live this long. Though my hair is turning gray I still can hear a clanging gong. I thought my cake was set...

‘Vital Signs’ by Jeffrey Essmann

The Society
August 20, 2022
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
5 Comments
. I. My body heat is at a modicum: Say, ninety-eight point two or one or so. Foreboding naught particularly glum Except a disposition to succumb To fevers only cooler heads can know. . II. Some other hand has...

‘Un-Justice Merrick Garland’ and Other Poetry by Russel Winick

The Society
August 18, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
19 Comments
. Un-Justice Merrick Garland “Garland is a moderate,” Obama swore, We all can see his moderation now--- The Trump raid tactics never used before, Which Garland must have learned from Chairman...

‘Chitchat’ by Norma Pain

The Society
August 18, 2022
Humor, Poetry
33 Comments
. Chitchat If only I could find a man, I’m lonely since Sebastian, That loser, left me for another. Still, I didn’t like his mother Anyway, so no big deal, And honestly, I really feel We just weren’t...

‘Persistence’ by David L. Williams

The Society
August 17, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
4 Comments
. Persistence It seems when flies get in from the outside, They never find how to get out again; Instead they only buzz around and hide, A game that often is the death of them. At times hours pass when you...

‘My No-Show Foes’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
August 11, 2022
Humor, Poetry
10 Comments
. My No-Show Foes I whet my blade, anticipating mayhem. My enemies just whet their appetite On what they hope my manager will pay them For throwing down their knives without a fight. I hone my wits in...

Poems by Théodore de Banville (1823-1891), Translated by Margaret Coats

The Society
August 7, 2022
Beauty, Humor, Poetry, Rondel, Translation, Triolet
21 Comments
. Poems by Théodore de Banville (1823-1891) translated by Margaret Coats The Velocipede Half brain, and half a pair of wheels, Transcending anthropology, Calf poised on manufactured heels, Half brain, and...

‘Fishing on the Fly’: Three Poems by James A. Tweedie

The Society
August 4, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
21 Comments
. Deschutes River Reverie The river, swift and shallow, roils its way Beneath the outstretched arms of old-growth pines, Past bank-side willows diamond-dewed with spray, And hillside ferns and thimbleberry...

‘Don’t Laugh at a Christian’ and Other Poetry by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
August 3, 2022
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
18 Comments
. Don't Laugh at a Christian God looked down on Noah And said "Construct an ark Bigger than a boat, More like a zoo or park." Friends said he was crazy Until the rain came down. That is when we learned The...

‘Camena Interrupta’ and Other Poetry by Peter Venable

The Society
August 1, 2022
Culture, Humor, Limerick, Poetry
4 Comments
. Camena Interrupta The measured words of poetryRise round the mystic sphere,Sift through the dirt or sing divineIn strains that soothe or sear. But now the stanzas halt and freeze:Eternity is stilled—The...

‘Dog Tired, Cat on Top’ by Damian Robin

The Society
July 30, 2022
Children's, Humor, Poetry
13 Comments
. Dog Tired, Cat on Top The cat sat on the mat, Been there, seen that. The cat sat on the chair, Seen that, been there. The cat sat on the dog, Well, that’s odd. The dog snored on the floor, Tell us...

‘Online Research’ and Other Poetry by Russel Winick

The Society
July 27, 2022
Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. Online Research For how long grilling planks should soak __I checked the time online. A website that I noticed first __Called 15 minutes fine. But one more page I saw advised __To do it for an hour, So I...

‘Forked: A Palindrome Poem’ and Other Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
July 25, 2022
Humor, Poetry, Readings
39 Comments
. . Forked   a palindrome poem I’m a toxic-tongued witch with some bitching to weave. No trite tittle-tattle will make me believe My lips drip with syrup and never with sin--- That’s ludicrous...

‘Aftertaste’ and Other Poetry by Anna J. Arredondo

The Society
July 24, 2022
Acrostic, Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
37 Comments
. Aftertaste Love at first sip was so cloyingly sweet, When I’d have gladly laid all at his feet, Sworn by the heavens his eminent worth, Followed him unto the ends of the earth. Tragic, how quickly he...

‘The Spoonerisms Man, or The Moonerisms Span’ by Jeff Eardley

The Society
July 22, 2022
Children's, Humor, Poetry
34 Comments
. The Spoonerisms Man, or The Moonerisms Span His name was Mr. Spooner and he owned a service station. He kept our vehicles on the road, a noble occupation. So handy with the oily rag, the torque wrench and...

‘Three Literary Smiles’: Poems by James A. Tweedie

The Society
July 21, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
12 Comments
. Three Literary Smiles . Hemingway’s Oopsy “Up in my room the rain was coming down Heavily outside on the balcony.” I didn’t know if I should smile or frown At such a dissonant cacophony. It’s...

On the UK Heatwave: ‘Keep Calm and Carry On!’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
July 17, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
105 Comments
. Keep Calm and Carry On! “UK heatwave: Temperatures to rise to 41C amid extreme heat warning” ---BBC News  “The first Red Extreme heat warning issued” ---British Met Office The BBC is roaring like...

‘Mistress’ by Michael Pietrack

The Society
July 17, 2022
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
39 Comments
. Mistress Within those sheets, my mistress lay, her flawless form with perfect feet. One last embrace; I cannot stay! I hear her heart in metered beat. Her voice, a ballad siren song with lyrics begging my...

‘The Automated Phone System’ and Other Poetry by Russel Winick

The Society
July 13, 2022
Blank Verse, Culture, Humor, Poetry
11 Comments
. The Automated Phone System I called up a business But no person answered, I got a phone system With multiple options Some rather confusing; I kept getting transferred, Spent most time just holding; Then...

‘The Drive to Reconcile’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
July 9, 2022
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
15 Comments
. The Drive to Reconcile __We never wish to eat a bug __Or force an unexpected hug, But intimacy doesn’t come without A cost, and those who disagree, no doubt, Are lost.  But nonetheless we cannot see Why...

‘Back in My Day’ and Other Poetry by David Whippman

The Society
July 9, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
18 Comments
. Back in My Day I tested my courage---well, no, not really. The heroic stuff had been done before. My generation was all touchy-feely. It was our parents who’d fought the war. The post-war population...

‘The Pigeon’ and Other Poetry by Norma Pain

The Society
July 6, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry, The Raven
22 Comments
. The Pigeon Once upon a workday morning, sleepy-eyed and loudly yawning, I was splattered without warning by a pigeon from the shore. At my half unconscious stupor, this unpardonable pooper, Took his aim just...

‘Pets and People’ and Other Poetry by Julian Woodruff

The Society
July 5, 2022
Children's, Humor, Poetry
20 Comments
. Pets and People Do cats and kittens ever wonder Why their owners have no fur? Do dogs think it was blind fate’s blunder That the likes of humans were Afflicted with this vile condition, Curse of their...

‘Abiding Senescence’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
June 25, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
19 Comments
. Abiding Senescence My energy and physical abilities Will not again be limitless as once they were. To those more qualified to ponder facts like these, Without a single qualm or doubt I will defer. They tell...

‘Advice from the Untalented’ and Other Poems by Sally Cook

The Society
June 23, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
19 Comments
. Advice from the Untalented They smugly said I’d never make much money From playing with my words and making art, That it would be a waste to spread such honey So any fool could tear the thing...

‘An Open Poem to Evil’ by Mike Bryant

The Society
June 20, 2022
Culture, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. An Open Poem to Evil “Gravity is real... it’s hard to keep a bag of shit in the air forever.” ---Alex Wilhelm You goofy spoofin’ kooks are pitchin’ poop. You’re selling poison no one wants to...

A Modernization of ‘To His Coy Mistress’ and Other Poetry by Joshua C. Frank

The Society
June 17, 2022
Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
13 Comments
. A Modernization of “To His Coy Mistress” You say we should some years delay The coming of our wedding day, But God commanded us to try To fruitful be and multiply. To make new life, we cannot shirk; The...

‘In Praise of Bollywood’ by Brian Yapko

The Society
June 16, 2022
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
20 Comments
. In Praise of Bollywood To India! To visit from afar... My journey there would be a dream fulfilled. To visit Delhi, Agra, Bangalore, To ride an elephant, pluck a sitar; I’d see a thousand temples loudly...
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  1. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Meddling’: A Poem by Mary Jane MyersSeptember 2, 2025

    Mary Jane, your poem's striking imagery seems almost culled from experience and I can feel the sadness as a result…

  2. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘Sunflower Field’: A Poem by Adam SediaSeptember 2, 2025

    A very interesting rhyme scheme (ABCCBA), with heterometric rhythms. Heliotropic flowers do suggest obedience, along with deep peace, and an…

  3. Joseph S. Salemi on Two More Lyrics of Philodemus of Gadara, Translated by Joseph S. SalemiSeptember 2, 2025

    Thank you, Adam. I'm glad my work has pleased you. I have translated material from Catullus, Horace, Juvenal, and Martial,…

  4. Margaret Brinton on ‘At Brown University, 14 August 2025’: A Poem by C. WalkerSeptember 2, 2025

    Hopeful and idealistic as all young students should be! I wish you well this year and onward.

  5. Carey Jobe on ‘Spacewalk’: A Poem by Carey JobeSeptember 2, 2025

    Adam, thanks for your kind and insighful comments!

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