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Poetry

‘Ode to an Osprey’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
May 6, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
37 Comments
. Today I spied you, red in beak and claw.You perched atop a roadside pole to dineOn scaly prey with silver skin, pecked raw—A mullet dish of thrashing flesh; a fineBeachside feast; a smorgasbord of sweetAnd...

‘I Asked the Moon’ by David Irby

The Society
May 6, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
14 Comments
. I asked the moon, "Do you feel all alone?" She said, "I have no time. I've lots to do. To all the stars, I am a chaperone. Tonight I'm in good company with you." I asked the moon, "Do you begrudge the...

‘There Once Was a Very Big Lie’: A Limerick by Joe Tessitore

The Society
May 5, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Limerick, Poetry
43 Comments
. There once was a very big lie, That our country refused to deny. While we did what they told us, To the Commies they sold us And we kissed all our freedoms goodbye. . . Joe Tessitore is a retired New...

‘Living in a Purple Wood’ by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
May 5, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
.. Whoever said that change is good Is living in a purple wood Behind a tree behind a bough; A purple horse and purple cow, For progress is a purple haze Confusing nights; confounding days. Our education...
poem/gosse/humor

‘Dactylic Proverbs’ by James A. Tweedie

The Society
May 4, 2021
Culture, Epigrams and Proverbs, Humor, Poetry, Poetry Forms
19 Comments
. Set your priorities—don't be uncouth—know the Secret to happiness lies in this truth: “Though the Sum of all things is a secret worth looking for, Perfect lasagna is something worth cooking...

’52 B.C.’ by Cindy Hill

The Society
May 4, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
7 Comments
. Six hundred years before Old Sarum fell, the might of Rome faced down the Gallic tribes on earthen ramparts between circles scribed, intent to bring rebellion to the quell. Caesar himself came out to face...

‘Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliaphobia’ by Mike Bryant

The Society
May 3, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry, Readings
33 Comments
.   "To indulge in hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian tergiversation is not to show your erudition: rather, it is to be superficial.” ---Steven George Krantz Thalamic tarantismLed to...

Epitaphs of Great Poets and Writers

The Society
May 3, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
46 Comments
Compiled by Roy E. Peterson Readers are encouraged to add other great poets' and writers' epitaphs in the comments section below, or write a poem for their own epitaphs. . Prologue Both authors well and...

Three Poems after Ecclesiastes 9, by Jeff Kemper

The Society
May 2, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
16 Comments
. One Fate Ecclesiastes 9:1-6 Shall I portend, and shall I explicate What eyes can see themselves, ere they go blind? The moral and sagacious of mankind Know not a whit what destinies await, For to the hand...

‘Prayer’ and Other Poetry by Russel Winick

The Society
May 1, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
14 Comments
. Prayer Of people who pray, Routinely or not, He wonders what the case is. Are they of belief Prayer has an effect, Or touching all the bases? . . Opinions in Fact Some folks voice opinions So...

Reflections on China’s God of War Statue on International Workers Day—May 1

The Society
May 1, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Essays, Poetry
8 Comments
by Michael Curtis When next you float down the Yangtze River through Jingzhou City, likely you will notice Guan Yu, God of War, looking rather ambitious, rather restless; at 190 feet in height, a bit...

‘The People, Yes’ by Bruce Dale Wise

The Society
April 30, 2021
Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. "I Lived and languished.” —Andrei Platonov by "Weird” Ace Blues Last year we learned th’ Empire struck back with fierce synergy. The populace was pummeled by the techno-tyranny. O, Obi Wan...

‘Like Abelard and Heloise’ and Other Poetry by Arthur L. Wood

The Society
April 30, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Readings
6 Comments
. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5FdfL8sVRM Like Abelard and Heloise Like Abelard and Heloise This woman has the gorgeous mind. Her touch of tenderness and ease Calms the ravages I find. Her cheeks are one...

On Wearing Masks: ‘For Shame’ by Joe Tessitore

The Society
April 29, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Poetry
24 Comments
. written while walking out my front door You weren’t born with that thing on your face, So look in your mirror and see the disgrace Of a coward whipped into his or her place--- Your dignity’s vanished and...

‘Like a Bell’ by Robert Boucheron

The Society
April 29, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
15 Comments
. Like a bell struck in the clear night, A voice that no one hears Tells me to leave my bed and write With ink distilled from tears. The stars exert their influence, The moon shines white on black, The...

An Ancient Prophecy on Vaccinations Discovered by Margaret Coats

The Society
April 28, 2021
Covid-19, Culture, Poetry
19 Comments
. Vaticination  Sibylla says, Fear archers of immunity! Beware the vanguard shock troops sharpening double tongues, Whetted with grave authority To weaken hearts and spew contagion into lungs. They bend...

An Ode: ‘Spring Mourning’ by Daniel R. Leach

The Society
April 28, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
5 Comments
. The first soft days of Springtime greet my eyes __Like a young girl’s face smiling fresh and clean, The sunlight falls, like hope, from cloudless skies __Upon a budding world, all tender green; But sweet,...

On the Hypocrisy of Gov. Newsom, and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
April 27, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
17 Comments
. The Tale of Governor Do-as-I-Say-Not-as-I-Do-som It’s funny how Democracy In many states now colored blue Produces rank hypocrisy, A birthright of the privileged few. And there we notice Gavin...

‘A Shout Out to Traditionalist Poets’ by Paul A. Freeman

The Society
April 27, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Poetry Forms
19 Comments
. We’re poets first-and-foremost and agree that meter, rhyme and rhythm oft are spurned; the plethora of poetry we see is free verse and should frankly be returned to sender if an emo, teenage brain or...

On the Couple Who Accidentally Painted Over Modern Art, and Other Poetry by Julian Woodruff

The Society
April 26, 2021
Art, Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
.  Brush with Shame In reference to “Couple accidentally paints over $500,000 artwork,” Ben Cost, New York Post, 4/3/21 The whole world over they are in a stew: Our artists and creators share the...

‘Spring Fling’ by Cheryl Corey

The Society
April 26, 2021
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
8 Comments
. O Spring, you’re such a tease, Fickle as a good-time lover; Temptingly, you hover Warm against my cheek, Windless, save a zephyr; And oh so soft your whisper Of promise, only to hide Away again. I...

Sonnets on Themistocles, Sen. McCarthy, and Wenyi Wang, by Evan Mantyk

The Society
April 25, 2021
Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Human Rights in China, Poetry
28 Comments
. Themistocles Athens, Greece, 483 B.C. “Barbarians loom upon the coast—dark clouds. Athenians see them, but don’t think they’d pour Their cataclysmic flooding on our shore. They only hear the nearby...

‘A Day When Silence Spoke’ by Daniel Magdalen

The Society
April 25, 2021
Culture, Human Rights in China, Poetry
23 Comments
. This poem is commemorating the peaceful appeal of 10,000 Falun Gong practitioners for freedom of belief, in Beijing, on April 25, 1999. The appeal ended when practitioners left after being given empty...

‘A Tribute to Prince Philip’ by Paul A. Freeman

The Society
April 24, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
6 Comments
. The gaffe-prone Duke of Edinburgh has died, who asked if native Aussies still chucked spears and told some Brits they’d end up slitty-eyed for living in Beijing too many years. Yet what a gap this man of...

‘The Seven Dwarves of Old Age’ by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
April 24, 2021
Humor, Poetry
10 Comments
. The Seven Dwarves of Old Age The seven dwarves of old age __Have come to live with me, But what could be the use of them __Is more than I can see. First Napper came and gave a wink __And slept upon my...

‘Anastasia’ by Brian Yapko

The Society
April 23, 2021
Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Poetry
34 Comments
. Martyred daughter of a libeled Czar, You for whom St. Basil’s bells have rung, Condemned to die dishonored and unsung, Yet gentlest of the Romanovs by far In silent black-and-white forever young. It...

A Poem for the 457th Birthday of Shakespeare, by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
April 22, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry, Shakespeare
43 Comments
. Bardolatry He boasted an iambic ear, That playwright with insight, Shakespeare; Yes, Measure for Measure He’s given much pleasure With Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear. The Bard’s jealous...

‘The Madcap, Rambler-Driving Poet of Ogden’ by Tonia Kalouria 

The Society
April 22, 2021
Humor, Poetry
12 Comments
.   __Like Don Quixote’s windmills, rhymes keep spinning in my head! My dark-passion is to write Light Verse; my curse, to go unread. __I keep submitting—vain attempts!— though earnest, judged a...

On the George Floyd Verdict and Other Poetry by Richard Lackman

The Society
April 21, 2021
Culture, Poetry
54 Comments
. A Eulogy for Justice It looks like we got justice for George Floyd Because of the techniques that were employed. But what about the life of Ashli Babbit? Shouldn’t justice be a constant habit? The Floyds...

Two Poems on Transgenderism by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
April 21, 2021
Culture, Poetry
78 Comments
. A Chemistry Lesson There was a time she pined to be a boy, Around the age of six or maybe eight, When centipedes and beetles were her joy And skinning knees in trees, her frequent fate. There was a time she...

Four Poems on the Theme of Lost Love, by James A. Tweedie

The Society
April 20, 2021
Beauty, Love Poems, Poetry
11 Comments
. Poet's Note: These poems are non-autobiographical. . When Love is Lost To see the summer sun and wish for rain; To smell the springtime flowers and wish for snow; To wake at dawn and wish for night again; To...

In Memoriam: Poet Leo Zoutewelle (1935-2021)

The Society
April 19, 2021
From the Society, Poetry
25 Comments
Dear SCP Members and Readers, Poet Leo Zoutewelle died on March 11, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina under the care of Presbyterian Hospital hospice. He was born on December 19, 1935 in Holland and grew up...

‘Pilates’ by Jeff Eardley

The Society
April 19, 2021
Humor, Poetry
14 Comments
. She started her Pilates class, Upon the Internet. The city was in lockdown, So, she knew, some work she’d get. She started on her webpage, Working hard into the night. She knew it wasn’t easy, So, she...

‘Crocuses’ by Adam Sedia

The Society
April 18, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
13 Comments
. You meekly poke your purple heads Through stubborn clumps of snow That yet persist in fallow beds Though balmy breezes blow; First to hail the waxing sun, First to scent the air, First to paint the...

‘Lumbar-Fusion Post-Op Blues’ by Jeff Kemper

The Society
April 18, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
21 Comments
. The Odyssey of a recovering patient of the Orthopedic and Spine Specialists (OSS) hospital in York, PA; January 2019. (My hospital experience could not have been better. Surgeons, nurses, aids, therapists,...

Four Petrarchan Sonnets by Peter Austin

The Society
April 17, 2021
Culture, Humor, Poetry
9 Comments
. . On a Starred Night derived from a George Meredith poem On a starred night, Prince Lucifer uprose; From smoke and stink and howl of the distraught And sulphur stench and brimstone, change he sought. Garbed...
poem/frank/st. jerome/christian

‘Right on Cue’ by David Whippman

The Society
April 17, 2021
Beauty, Poetry
27 Comments
. Who took the years? Who stole the time away? Where did it go? I just don’t understand. There were so many things that I had planned, Such clever dialogue I had to say. Have I been written out of my own...

National Poetry Month Challenge: What Is Poetry?

The Society
April 16, 2021
Culture, Poetry, Poetry Challenge, Poetry Contests
78 Comments
April is National Poetry Month. On this occasion, take words about poetry from a famous poet, or anyone else you deem fitting, and turn them into a quatrain (four-line poem). Below are four examples from poet...

‘My Magic Machine’ By Norma Pain

The Society
April 16, 2021
Beauty, Children's, Humor, Poetry
23 Comments
. I wish I could build me a magic machine, A magic machine that would last, Till the octopus sings and the Orca grows wings, And the lowly worm ceases to cast. I’d fashion the walls out of wonder and...

‘The Game of Life (CCP Edition)’ by Bethany Mootsey

The Society
April 15, 2021
Deconstructing Communism, Human Rights in China, Humor, Poetry
4 Comments
. We appreciate your purchase of this version of the game That caused Mr. Milton Bradley to become a household name. Though we cannot laud the methods for his capital success, We endorse Life, with some...
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  1. Patricia Rogers Crozier on ‘Going Home to Campania’: A Poem by Patricia Rogers CrozierMay 17, 2025

    As much as it's interesting to see what's changed, it's usually more unsettling than satisfying to go back!

  2. Patricia Rogers Crozier on ‘Going Home to Campania’: A Poem by Patricia Rogers CrozierMay 17, 2025

    It's a risk to return to your old haunts! The trees always seem to be the first to go. Thank…

  3. Patricia Rogers Crozier on ‘Going Home to Campania’: A Poem by Patricia Rogers CrozierMay 17, 2025

    Thank you for your lovely words!

  4. Patricia Rogers Crozier on ‘Going Home to Campania’: A Poem by Patricia Rogers CrozierMay 17, 2025

    That is very sad to hear, what a violent end to your childhood home! I am happy that my poem…

  5. Julia Griffin on ‘Back in the U.S.S.R.’ and Other Poetry by Brian YapkoMay 17, 2025

    Life was hideous in the old USSR, certainly. Though there is now more and better food, the present government of…

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