Poetry

Burrowed down in leaves of brown piled by the garden wall, our Billy cat dreamed of a rat he’d chased down through the hall. Up from the creek came Max the dog, exhausted from his run, but hearing...

  Lines Composed in the Adirondack Mountains THERE’S a little town nestled in the hills, with an old house I call by that town's name; with husks of flies in the chipped window-sills, a metal...

I. Anxiety and excitement, a strange mixture Saturated me as I attempted to picture Two days alone crossing China’s famous Silk Road Aboard a train, the local transportation mode. I envisioned...

  Record the past and gift-wrap the future Explain the rules of classical culture Listen to the stories plaintively wrought In candlelit taverns for the heroes that fought In wars long-forgotten...

"Orange Persimmons" is a Haiku. "Released" is an American Cinquain, and "Forever Wearing White" is a Tanka about how the Falun Dafa are being tortured and buried in snow at re-education facilities in...

Originally Featured in Woodland Poems Near a ridge where far recedes the frozen Forest into valleys wide, Scoouwa’s chin In despondence fell.  Faint and overcome With brow perplexed, he searched the...

As I was flying high and looking down    the lonely regent of my tiny crown in one-dimension’s cold and breath-thin air    anxiously intent on prey down there I’d had...

  The Goddess I. Black breeze On white foam hands Held high, lifting freedom: Shinning fast Her people’s torch in His eyes. II. Thunder Rolling on dawn-- Tanks over Her hands...

In support of the national youth bike ride, Ride 2 Freedom. Ride to Freedom Riding, riding, riding fast, There can be no time to spare When the present becomes the past All that’s left is the heart...

I dreamt I saw him in the queue, A friend I thought had long since died; But we embraced so warmly then; It seemed a dream we’d been apart. And looking at him, then I knew Some different spirit was...

  Salazar Sneed Salazar Sneed was a man of great need Who traded holey shoes for a pocket of beads. With the beads he then went to the market and bought A pancake pan that was cast iron...

Wanderer's Retreat I Across the dive bar floor strode a figure, Tall but slightly slouching, wearing a cloak. His facial features, save nose and chin, were Submerged in hooded shadow as he...

  One Summer Day An allusion to Beethoven While walking through the woods one summer day, he glanced along a river, clear and bright, saw bubbling notes like dappled fish at play, and dashed them...

Chinese Cameo 13 Exacting Nazis whittled down The Jew – full name, gender, skill type, stamp, tattoo; segued ringlets, noses, black felt hats, with wriggling germs and cancer cells and rats; and...

We are proud to announce the publication of The Society of Classical Poets’ 2015 Poetry Journal! The best poetry of the last year has culminated in this publication.  Poets include competition winners...

  The River Wye Your stroll beside the stream has stayed with me, Has left me in my loneliness with strength Enough to face the world, to somehow see Within its depth and width and wandering...

Goodbye, sweet fetal child— for you shall die, Because a mother’s love is also dead: The hallowed place of nurture where you lie Shall soon become the ground where blood is shed. The battle to reject...

  Hunger "Power grows out of the barrel of a gun" -Mao Zedong Power grows out of the plight of the poor Peasants broken-backed, burdened by hunger The blood stained earth screams of endless...

Thoughts after Samuel Palmer (1805-1881) By Bud "Weasel" Rice Everywhere curious, articulate, perfect and inimitable ... nature does ... leave a space for the soul to climb above her steepest...

  Fog in the Valley The fog flows down like a flock of pale gulls and the valley of my home disappears. In seconds, stuff engulfs us. Each sense dulls; cold soggy cotton fills our eyes and...

  Winter Storm Watch The sky is still; no flakes appear and yet we know that they will come. Held hostage by our doubts and fears we beat out warnings on our drums. We know, for sure, the flakes...

Observations both Literal and Inferred on The Course of Empire, 1833-36, by Thomas Cole   The Savage State THE foreground is dark, sublime, and savage. Storm-clouds roll up towards the right. The...

O Thou Fount of Joy, I Praise Thee In my dark night He brought His joy    by an ancient melody. I was young then, did not know that    what He taught me by degree was a way...

  Sonnet on the Death of a Friend Throughout our lives we have the love of some Our family, our friends , the special ones Who help us deal with problems as they come And share our joys and sorrow as...

They gathered softly in a field for many miles around to taste in haste the flowers before showers tumbled down upon the clover blooms, the goldenrod, thistles and grasses; never in one place too long as...

A mysterious substance is ruling our lives. It flows through our oceans and floats in our skies. “It’s good for you,” cries four docs out of five. It will keep your skin young for the rest of your...

  For a girl with rosy cheeks I didn’t know when Valentine’s Day was, and didn’t need to. That day came and went like any other. Now I know it cause you’re perfect, dear; you don’t know...

I saw a grand palace as sculpted by the Genie of the Lamp, adorned with lights so golden, as if it came from within. I saw great achievements under the sky of glass, soared to extraordinary heights: a...

for E.E. Club Saw Reid   I. Priam, Returning to the Ramparts He’d never say it to my face and yet I sense that Hector senses I’m washed up: too old, too soft. Not that he is the pup that...

  I Saw a Giant Train by Red Was Iceblue I saw a giant train come out of blue and purple light, the colours of its cars, red, yellow, orange, black and white. It seemed gargantuan and powerful, a...

Chinese Cameo 5 A glinty dental check-up’s made my day – some skiffs of plaque, no ominous decay … A shiny, multi-jointed arm in white displayed a tray of steely tools laid tight. These...

  First Prize ($500): Reid McGrath Winning Poems: “Tares in the Wheat” “A Recurring Dream, Vanquished” “Retreating Snow” “Lamenting Our Complicity in the Installation of Suicide Nets”...

  The Shore Forever lost in the ocean the water seeps into my chest I’ve lost myself in the motion let the fish swim beneath my breast And yet each time I’m pulled under the sun too far...

Though tear gas spiraled through receding light and wrung out tears and mangled up clear sight; and though the bitter gas was spiked with hate, the thin-clad crowd did not retaliate. The death of...

Rose Window Firs at sunset cast golden geometries As myriad needles swarm like bees And burst into sun-kindled flame – A rose window without its frame.   Falun Dafa Fingers curved like...

  Where Can I Find You? A girl, with hair the colour of honey, giggled while she chased a little bunny through fields of golden hay and black cherries. Suddenly she stopped and asked a...

  Vessel No one can insure candlelight; its flame Precisely burns in flickering waves of gas, Ingesting oxygen while fibers pass Through burning into soot, and feel no shame. A stroke of pen or...

The nightingale flutters on its wings And lighting on a branch he sings Voices the song of his spirit Brings joy to all that hear it With pen and paper in my hand I listen to my heart’s command I hope that...

Life's Golden Key Like the sparrow, robin and crow sharing in a concrete birdbath, mortals require kindness to grow, pleasantly exploring life's path. Each gifted day, time is borrowed to search and...

  I. The people of China in ancient times, Knew good was blessed and evil was punished, By Gods who observed all of their actions, When they were virtuous their country flourished. For five...