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Poetry

‘Journey’s End’ and Other Poetry by Talbot Hook

The Society
December 19, 2021
Beauty, Children's, Poetry, Villanelle
2 Comments
. Journey’s End To Adventuresome Children at Bedtime Mountain, forest, stone, and stream all glisten under sun, While golden morn and midnoon beam call children out to run. But after day has had his say, see...

Two Poems by Bécquer, Translated by Cheryl Corey 

The Society
December 18, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Music, Poetry, Translation
10 Comments
. The Harp  by Gustavo Bécquer | from Spanish by Cheryl Corey Obscured by corner shadows, gathering dust, perhaps forgotten over time—there stands the silent harp. So many hidden notes entombed on muted...

Poems on the Three Fates: Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, by Cheryl Corey

The Society
December 18, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
9 Comments
. Three Sisters Clotho When mother sat me down, I feared the worst. Her words, however, offered praise instead. “Your gentle hands are motherly,” she said. “That’s why I’ve chosen you to be the...

‘Panic’ and Other Poetry by Peter Hartley

The Society
December 17, 2021
Beauty, Love Poems, Poetry
31 Comments
. Panic What is this feeling that sometimes afflicts Us with awful intensity and fear? A feeling close to panic, very near To dread, to terror; something that constricts The breathing, chokes the throat and...

‘Fool’s Gold’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
December 16, 2021
Culture, Poetry
42 Comments
. Fool’s Gold The gutsy suffragettes gained girls the vote--- One bold soul trampled by a monarch’s horse Grabbed patriarchy by the gloating throat. Her ghost changed every voiceless woman’s...

‘A Spider in My Room’ and Other Poetry by Radhika Bianchi

The Society
December 16, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
6 Comments
. A Spider in My Room In the corner, there's a spider Between the ceiling and the wall. Its legs are long, its body small, Seeing it there my eyes grow wider, Fearing it to be the kind Of spider I’ve been...

‘Bidenflation’ to the Tune of ‘Tomorrow’ by Will Spiller

The Society
December 15, 2021
Humor, Music, Poetry, Song Lyrics
1 Comment
. . Bidenflation to the finale of “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie Fuel prices go up Tomorrow Bet your shrinking dollar that tomorrow They will soar! Inflation will rise Tomorrow All the things you...

A Poem for Astronaut Michael Collins and Other Poetry by Lawrence Fray

The Society
December 15, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. Tidal Lock for Michael Collins died (Oct. 31, 1930 - April 28, 2021):, Apollo 11 Command Module Astronaut who saw the dark side of the moon Has one brave man's small step dethroned the moon And brought the...

‘A Flower’ by Alceste De Lollis, Translated by Adam Sedia, and a Sonnet

The Society
December 14, 2021
Beauty, Poetry, Translation
20 Comments
. A Flower for Giannina Milli by Alceste De Lollis (1820-1887) | translated from Italian by Adam Sedia A fragile herb, this blooming flower, I planted with my hand one day; Once more I fed refreshing...

‘Lightning Could Strike’ by Michael Charles Maibach

The Society
December 14, 2021
Culture, Love Poems, Poetry
8 Comments
. Lightning Could Strike Just when hope Is out the door, Has flown the coop, Has said “No more.” Just when "up" You have now "given," Just when life Seems so now riven. In she walks Her smile so...

A Poem for Emily Dickinson, and Other Sonnets by Tamara Beryl Latham

The Society
December 13, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
8 Comments
. Tamara to Emily for Emily Dickinson We viewed the lighted houses well below, whose roads ran serpentine through mounding snow, zoomed in on walls that formed each hollowed room, then juxtaposed the gaiety...

‘There Was a Free Nation That Swallowed a Lie,’ Nursery Rhyme Sung by Jack DesBois

The Society
December 12, 2021
Beauty, Covid-19, Humor, Music, Poetry, Song Lyrics, Video
13 Comments
. There Was a Free Nation That Swallowed a Lie sung to the tune of "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" . https://youtu.be/luLcKkCHWFo There was a free nation that swallowed a lie. I don’t know why...

‘Advent Twist’ by James A. Tweedie

The Society
December 12, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
19 Comments
. Advent Twist "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple . . . But who may abide the day of his coming? and who...

‘Sibylline Sonnets for Advent’ by Margaret Coats

The Society
December 11, 2021
Acrostic, Beauty, Culture, Poetry
44 Comments
. Sibylline Sonnets for Advent The sibyls were ecstatic prophetesses active from about 600 B.C. in the Greek coastlands of Asia Minor, and in Greek colonies on the west coast of Italy. A few apparent...

‘Samode Palace Hotel’ by Isabel Miles

The Society
December 11, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. Samode Palace Hotel An erstwhile palace, and all wished to claim a former sultan's, not a servants', room. So we drew keys, for all had paid the same and won two turrets and a vast bedroom. But, best,...

‘So Simple’ and Other Poetry by Mike Bryant

The Society
December 10, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Poetry
23 Comments
. So Simple Lies are told to Balkanize, To disenfranchise, federalize, To bloat the vote. An anecdote, A narrative, a false footnote To cast their spell on sheepish folk, Who swell with pride because they’re...

‘Maria Montessori’ and Other Clerihews by Peter Hartley

The Society
December 10, 2021
Clerihew, Culture, Humor, Poetry
33 Comments
. Maria Montessori Seldom felt hunky-dory. Her vision for education Fell short of inspiring a nation. . King George the Second It has often been reckoned Would have been more fecund Had more mistresses...

A Poem on Hot Flashes: ‘The Devil and the Hounds of Hell’ by Norma Pain

The Society
December 9, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
12 Comments
. The Devil and the Hounds of Hell Over and over in the gloom of night, In degrees of Celsius or Fahrenheit. From deep in the middle of a hard-won sleep, An evil entity begins to creep. A dark, diabolical...

A Fake News Pantoum and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
December 9, 2021
Culture, Humor, Pantoum, Poetry, Rondeau
9 Comments
. What Is Truth? a pantoum To keep us blind and riven You falsify the facts. You will not be forgiven--- These are a tyrant’s acts! You falsify the facts Promoting news that’s fake. These are a tyrant’s...

‘We Are in for Another Covid Christmas!’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
December 8, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Humor, Poetry
23 Comments
. We Are in for Another Covid Christmas! We are in for another Covid Christmas: __Lockdown tales of woe. ____Now forbidden to fly his sled __Santa is drenched in dread And Rudolph’s rosy nose has lost its...

‘Turn, Turn, Turn’ by Joe Tessitore

The Society
December 8, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
9 Comments
. Turn, Turn, Turn I, whose heart is closed and locked, Who turned away when your Son knocked And who, through sin, did turn my soul Into a twisted lump of coal Turn now, Holy Mary, to you. Least worthy, no...

‘Daphne and Apollo’ by James A. Tweedie

The Society
December 7, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Love Poems, Poetry
18 Comments
. Daphne and Apollo “O foolish Cupid,” fair Apollo mocked. “To think that you, a wanton boy, should dare To think yourself the equal to a man Of arms, or even to a god like me, In putting arrows full...

‘Failure to Strive’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
December 6, 2021
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
26 Comments
. Failure to Strive Do, or do not.  There is no try. —Master Yoda We’ve traveled far, or so it seems to those Of us who shy from setting distant goals Requiring passage through unending rows Of thornhedge...

‘Elemental, My Dear’ by Alison Jennings

The Society
December 6, 2021
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
3 Comments
. Elemental, My Dear Slight air and purging fire, the first my thought, the other my desire. ---Shakespeare, "Sonnet 45" I am of air and fire wrought, though I am drawn to water like a dowsing rod. Carousing...

‘Passer Mortuus Est’ from Carmen 3, by Catullus, Translated by R.W. Rhodes

The Society
December 5, 2021
Beauty, Poetry, Translation
4 Comments
. Passer Mortuus Est, from Carmen 3 by Catullus (84-54 B.C.)| Translated from Latin by R.W. Rhodes My baby's favored fledgling dropped and died,and caused us both to weep; and when we cried,each Venus and...

‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost: Reading by S.A. Todd

The Society
December 4, 2021
Beauty, Poetry, Readings, Video
8 Comments
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCmLSOndstY . CREDITSPoetry: Robert FrostAudio/Visual Work: Society of Classical PoetsVoice-Over: S.A. ToddPhoto: "Yellow Forest" by Eflon (used under creative Commons...

‘The Biden Oil Refrain’ by Russel Winick

The Society
December 4, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
. The Biden Oil Refrain As President, on his first day, He closed old Keystone down, Then shut off Arctic drilling, Forty-thousand jobs left town. He cancelled key oil leases, Barred new highly needed...

‘The Gusting Winds’ by Martin Rizley

The Society
December 3, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
16 Comments
. The Gusting Winds The gusting winds, they blow, it seems, more bleakly this December; They bite my cheeks and chill my bones and freeze my aging flesh. As I ascend this windblown hill at sunset, I...

100 Days of Dante Poetry Contest

The Society
December 3, 2021
Dante, From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests
2 Comments
100 Days of Dante Poetry Contest Sponsored by the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing with the Society of Classical Poets . . Introduction 100 Days of Dante is a collaborative resource aimed at educating...

‘A Shot in the Dark’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
December 2, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Poetry
35 Comments
. A Shot in the Dark   "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help. " ---Ronald Reagan The experts push experimental science, Big...
poem/cooper/odysseus

‘Post-Apocalyptic Politics’ by Alec Ream

The Society
December 2, 2021
Culture, Poetry
2 Comments
. The lights went off, for long enough, And in the darkness things got rough, All four quarters gushing red— Some bloody politician's dead, We liked him once, yes, very much, And wanted to have four of...

‘Listening to Bach While the World Falls Apart’ by Cynthia Erlandson

The Society
December 1, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
16 Comments
. Listening to Bach While the World Falls Apart for Adrianna, Paul, and Beth I Sight isn’t needed---the continuous cracking of all The pillars supporting civilization, is audible. Thunderous crumbling of...

‘Where Is God?’ by Michael Charles Maibach

The Society
December 1, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
. Where Is God? Along life’s way Problems arise. Some seen before--- Some do surprise. “Why Lord, to me Comes now this pain? Let this cup pass--- Be gone life’s rain!” “What purpose true These...

‘Ruby’s House’ by Martin Rizley

The Society
November 30, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
18 Comments
. Ruby’s House to the memory of Ruby Elaine Seal Rizley (1896-1978) You knew it when you woke up in the morning and you heard The sound of pigeons cooing just outside the windowpane, And opening your eyes,...

A Poem on Huckleberry Finn Being Canceled for Mark Twain’s Birthday, by Brian Yapko

The Society
November 30, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
41 Comments
. On Mark Twain's Birthday He piloted a Mississippi steamboat, Then panned for gold and sailed around the world. He authored tales of rogues and slavery’s stain But now is damned for all the things he...

A Poem for Peng Shuai, by Douglas J. Lanzo

The Society
November 29, 2021
Culture, Human Rights in China, Poetry
6 Comments
. A Silenced Voice Cried Out  dedicated to Peng Shuai A voice cried out decrying her assault, Courageously to light the way for truth Against one high up preying on her youth— A Vice Premier accused of this...

‘Allentown Nights’ and Other Poetry by Sally Cook

The Society
November 29, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
23 Comments
. Allentown Nights Sometimes the nights were full of evil there. Relentless searchers drove the block most nights, While novices in bushes would prepare As Lady Scarface told them of their rights— Just how...

Video Poem for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics: ‘Sinister Symbols’ by James A. Tweedie

The Society
November 28, 2021
Human Rights in China, Poetry, Readings, Video
6 Comments
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBbaZHU3qk . Audio/Visual Work: Society of Classical Poets Voice-Over: Evan Mantyk Photo: Hans Permana, “Meal time!” (used under creative Commons License CC BY-NC...

‘CDC: Urgent Directive’ by Mike Bryant

The Society
November 27, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Humor, Poetry
32 Comments
. CDC: Urgent Directive Dillard “Sparky” Barker Is a Doc at CDC. It seems he’s done a study That is sad for you and me. “Accidental deaths are At an all-time scary high. And just because we care We...

‘Four Thousand Four Hundred  Miles’ and Other Poetry by Lionel Willis

The Society
November 27, 2021
Beauty, Poetry, Villanelle
5 Comments
. Four Thousand Four Hundred  Miles The shiny willows waved in yellow bloom Inland beyond the spit of dirty sand Where you and I stood, wishing we could zoom Due east and pace that other treasured land Across...
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  1. jd on ‘Salmon Skin’ and Other Poetry by Adam SediaJune 18, 2025

    Enjoyed both, Adam, the first for its exquisite painting and the second because I also like bananas. Once too ripe…

  2. Jonathan Cohen on Essay: The Life, Death and Art of Rachel WetzsteonJune 18, 2025

    Rachel *was* beautiful. I sat at her usual dining hall table at Pierson College, Yale for three academic years. I…

  3. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Periwinkle’: A Poem by Jeffrey EssmannJune 18, 2025

    My magic crayon in my day a long time ago was Magenta, likely before the advent of your new color.…

  4. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘A Winter’s Tale’ by Jeff EardleyJune 18, 2025

    This certainly did not occur. It is pure poetic license. If a sheep were to swallow a glass lens, the…

  5. Gigi Ryan on ‘Florida Beach Vacation 2025’: A Poem by Evan MantykJune 18, 2025

    Two things I miss - the beach and days before technology. The poem alone brought some of the delight of…

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