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      A Poem on 'Summer's End' by Jeffrey Essmann

      The Society
      September 25, 2023
      Beauty, Poetry
      10 Comments
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Poetry

‘Howl at the River’ and Other Word-Play Poems by James A. Tweedie

The Society
February 21, 2025
Humor, Poetry
4 Comments
. Howl at the River Howl at the river, cry me a moon; Blow up on a drum, and beat a balloon; Smirk like a sailor, drink like a prig’ Eat like a football, drop-kick a pig. Jimmy crack rainbow, over the...

A Poem on Wyeth’s ‘Distant Thunder’, by Carl Kinsky

The Society
February 21, 2025
Ekphrastic, Poetry
3 Comments
. At the Ready ---Distant Thunder, Andrew Wyeth (USA), 1961 The coming storm won’t let young Rattler lie asleep, but he’s not ready yet to wake her up. It’s quiet now but the pale sky is turning gray. He...

‘Der Knecht’: A Poem in German by Peter Lillios, with Translation

The Society
February 20, 2025
Love Poems, Poetry, Readings
4 Comments
. . Der Knecht An einem Teich in einem Tal, am Felsenfuß entlang, Da steht ein Mädchen ohne Schal, als Decke nur der Hang. Vorbei bin ich schon hundertmal, mit Gaben und Gesang. Mein Singen ist ihr ganz...

‘Truths Be Known’: A Poem by Margaret Brinton

The Society
February 20, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
7 Comments
. Truths Be Known _A cryptical dawning _This foggy gray morning With images drifting about. _Deceptive impressions, _Opaque are the visions, Illusions of Wonder, no doubt. _Then comes a clearing, _All truths...

Wanted: A Verse Curriculum and Pedagogy: An Essay by David J. Rothman

The Society
February 19, 2025
Essays, Poetry
7 Comments
. Wanted: A Verse Curriculum and Pedagogy David J. Rothman discusses the curriculum of the Poetry Concentration in the Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University, which offered a close...

‘Chasing COLAs in a Hard World’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
February 19, 2025
Culture, Limerick, Poetry
6 Comments
. Chasing COLAs in a Hard World COLA: cost-of-living adjustment We learned, each time we tried to file a claim, _That dealing with the Demiurge Adjustor _Takes all the fortitude that we can muster, And that...

‘Mistaken Identity’: A Poem by David Whippman

The Society
February 18, 2025
Love Poems, Poetry
12 Comments
. Mistaken Identity I never really found out who you are, I only saw what I preferred to see. I realise now it wasn’t meant to be. I thought you were my one true shining star, My cordon bleu, champagne and...

‘Sophisticated Stupidity’ and Other Poetry by James Bontrager

The Society
February 18, 2025
Poetry, Satire
8 Comments
. Sophisticated Stupidity Preserve the fish, defend the trees_And save the wilting daisies;Protect the coral in the seas_But kill the unborn babies.Such is the logic on displayBy science “experts” of...

On an Attempt to Tie Free Speech to the Nazis: A Poem by Warren Bonham

The Society
February 17, 2025
Poetry, Satire
25 Comments
. Margaret Brennan’s Plan to Stop Genocide “Well, he was standing in a country where free speech was weaponized to conduct a genocide" ---Margaret Brennan, February 16, 2025 on “Face the Nation” Miss...

‘Capacity’ and Other Poetry by Morrison Handley-Schachler

The Society
February 17, 2025
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
16 Comments
. Capacity “This is too big and inexcusably Extravagant, so next time I insist We buy a smaller glass. This one will be Always half-empty,” said the realist. “You say this from experience,”...
poem/rizley/beauty

‘Aged Elation’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick

The Society
February 17, 2025
Beauty, Love Poems, Poetry, Satire
8 Comments
. Aged Elation When reaching that age where you fear getting slow, The advent of faculties starting to go, It’s great inspiration---you can’t ask for more--- To figure out something you couldn’t...

‘Strauss Vater’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko

The Society
February 16, 2025
Beauty, Music, Poetry
19 Comments
. Strauss Vater Scene: Vienna, Austrian Empire: Midnight, October 15, 1844. On this night the famous musician, Johann Strauss, Sr. snubbed the professional musical debut of his soon-to-be famous son, Johann...

The New York Times’ Attack on Shen Yun Is an Attack on Arts and Culture: SCP Editor

The Society
February 16, 2025
Essays, Poetry
14 Comments
. The New York Times' Attack on Shen Yun Is an Attack on Arts and Culture by Evan MantykSCP Editor & President In the last six months or so, the New York Times has completely lost its senses and run a...

Five Quintilla Poems by Cheryl Corey

The Society
February 15, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
26 Comments
. Scarlet Pimpernel Amassing clouds—the air still warm; But you, my scarlet pimpernel, You sense that there's a coming storm, Compress your petals, and transform To brave the current's rising swell. . The...

‘Made from Scratch!’: A Poem by Mark Stellinga

The Society
February 15, 2025
Culture, Poetry
13 Comments
. Made from Scratch! An ever-growing-number of our adolescent children are suckled by the biased breasts of prejudice and greed--- born to persons steeped in hatred, keen to fashion soldiers built to fit in...

‘How Did You Woo Me? ’ and Other Valentine’s Day Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
February 14, 2025
Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
23 Comments
. How Did You Woo Me? Let Me Count the Way You didn’t sweep in on a snowy steedClad in armor buffed until it glittered---A shining knight of bright and mighty deedClutching ribboned gifts on which you’d...

‘My Pensive Valentine’: A Poem by Jonathan Kinsman

The Society
February 14, 2025
Love Poems, Poetry
10 Comments
. My Pensive Valentine Devout Love is not in the offered sweet, nor does Love proclaim in the proffered rose, nor the cliché tucked tight in a bouquet bought sight unseen, not in any of those mundane nudges...

‘Lines for Your Valentines’: A Valentine’s Day Poem by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
February 14, 2025
Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
16 Comments
. Lines for Your Valentines Without you here, my life is like A broken pencil, simply pointless. And if you tell me to take a hike, My legs won’t move, you’ve made them jointless. When I got up today I...

‘Fifties Country Living’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson

The Society
February 13, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
29 Comments
. Fifties Country Living Sit down with me my children, come! __I'll spin a tale or two About when I was just a kid __in nineteen fifty-two. No cell phones, televisions, laptops, __email, or...

‘The Potentate and the Pontiff’: An Essay by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
February 13, 2025
Essays, Poetry
18 Comments
. The Potentate and the Pontiff by Joseph S. Salemi I have often argued that the formalist techniques of traditional poetry are ideologically neutral, and can be made to serve any agenda or cause. I still...

‘Moments Matter’: A Poem by Gigi Ryan

The Society
February 12, 2025
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
23 Comments
. Moments Matter When my daughter was just three __I took her to the zoo. She laughed and smiled and had a blast __And I myself did, too. My friends said, “Why did you do that? __She will not recall The day...

A Poem for the Birthday of Charles Darwin: ‘Dog Eat Dog’ by Warren Bonham

The Society
February 12, 2025
Poetry, Satire, Science
39 Comments
. Dog Eat Dog As cells get divided, if outcomes are guided _completely by rolling the dice, the fit must survive so their genes stay alive, _while the weak pay the ultimate price. So students of Darwin, say...

‘A Grain of Sand’ and Other Poetry by Shindy Cai

The Society
February 11, 2025
Beauty, Children's, Poetry
12 Comments
. A Grain of Sand A grain of sand got lodged into __A little seagull's eye. He spluttered with indignant rage, __"Now I can't even fly!" And so his eye grew worse and worse, __The seagull shrieked and...

‘Evensong’: A Poem by Peter Venable

The Society
February 11, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
3 Comments
. Evensong The embers dimmed on the Pacific; _The sky a scarlet hue. One might conclude the fire seraphic--- _A seascape brushed by the muse. Some mares’ tails smudged the vista with soot _While gulls...

‘A Bogus Bishop’s Prayer’ and Other Poetry by Susan Jarvis Bryant

The Society
February 10, 2025
Beauty, Poetry, Satire
39 Comments
. A Bogus Bishop’s Prayer My prayer is not pitched heavenward _To fall upon deaf ears. It’s lashed to Earth for greater good. _It cashes in on tears. It's feathered several nests for years--- _I'm...

‘Leoncavallo Fumes at the Premiere of Puccini’s La Bohème, 1896’: A Poem by Julian Woodruff

The Society
February 10, 2025
Music, Poetry
14 Comments
. Leoncavallo Fumes at the Premiere of Puccini’s La Bohème, 1896 Damn Giacomo Puccini and his little La Bohème. How dare he bring this sentimental clap–trap to the stage? Especially after hiring me to...

‘Another Winter’: A Poem by Shamik Banerjee

The Society
February 9, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
13 Comments
. Another Winter Another winter's growing old. __Another spring is coming. Another hive, gripped by a branch, __Will make its endless thrumming. Another smile's to soon emerge __From pastel white...

‘The Clown’: A Poem by Pamela Ruggiero

The Society
February 9, 2025
Culture, Poetry
15 Comments
. The Clown I went inside my mind today. I hoped my thoughts would want to play. But all they did was get me down. I saw a large imposing clown. She had some tears upon her face, and tried to lock me in...

‘On the Porch’: A Poem by Margaret Coats

The Society
February 8, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
30 Comments
. On the Porch The roof and eaves, low walls or none, slim railings, Contrive a sense of shelter customary. Worn floor between front steps and door betokens Minutes or hours of ease preliminary. The aura...

‘Splendid Majesty’: A Poem by Warren Bonham

The Society
February 8, 2025
Poetry
9 Comments
. Splendid Majesty "I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works."---Psalm 145:5 I tried to meditate uponthe splendor of Your majestyand rose each day before the dawnto...

‘Reflections on Still Waters’: A Collection of Poems by James A. Tweedie

The Society
February 7, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
8 Comments
. Reflections on Still Waters . Isaiah 55:12 You shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace, And a song will break forth from the lands. While the echoes of praise in the hills never cease, And the...

‘Piazza della Signoria, Florence: February 7, 1497’: A Villanelle by Tom Wehtje

The Society
February 7, 2025
Culture, Poetry, Villanelle
20 Comments
. Piazza della Signoria, Florence: February 7, 1497 Savonarola gets up off his knees (much contact with the ground has formed a welt) and lights the bonfire of the vanities. His purpose is to purge the...

‘Lament to the Passing of Paper’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman

The Society
February 6, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
29 Comments
. Lament to the Passing of Paper I learned to write my A-B-Cs and form my shapely 1-2-3s on paper, when I was a lad; but now, since I’ve become a dad, the era of the written word is passing like the dodo...

‘A Summer Hour’ and Other Poems by Sally Cook

The Society
February 6, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
9 Comments
. A Summer Hour A burgeoning bush, some butterflies, Low wooden steps, warped, faded, rise Amid the calm of idle talk— The blur of shadows on the walk. Sometimes a passing, random thought Within winged...

A Poem on USAID, by Warren Bonham

The Society
February 5, 2025
Poetry, Satire
24 Comments
USAID USAID Mission Statement: On behalf of the American people, we promote and demonstrate democratic values abroad, and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world. We are funding a world that’s more...

‘Concerning Snow’: A Conversation in Verse by T.M. Moore

The Society
February 5, 2025
Beauty, Humor, Poetry
18 Comments
. Concerning Snow ---a conversation between Beauty and Necessity “Well, there you go again.” “What's that?” “Come now, don't act so innocent. You see that plow out there, defacing what it took all...

‘Classic Case History’ and Other Poetry by C.B. Anderson

The Society
February 5, 2025
Beauty, Humor, Poetry, Terza Rima
11 Comments
. Classic Case History Though I was blind, it wasn’t hard to see That blindness was a gift at least as good As any other. People seeing me As someone less insightful than he should Have been were blurry...

Two Poems of Judgment by Joseph S. Salemi

The Society
February 4, 2025
Poetry, Satire
12 Comments
. The Judge Addresses the Defendant "Living in America is like serving in the army; ninety percent of conduct is prescribed by law and the remaining ten percent by the esprit de corps." —Albert Jay Nock Of...

‘Our National Precipice’: A Poem by Kenneth Horne

The Society
February 4, 2025
Culture, Poetry
4 Comments
. Our National Precipice The time has come for all good men To recognize our nation’s end. We have been silent much too long, Just caught up in a siren’s song. That song, that beckons our demise, Brought...

‘Sonnet 1’ by Saki

The Society
February 3, 2025
Culture, Humor, Poetry
7 Comments
. . Sonnet 1 I felt like trying something new today, And so I put my pen upon a page To mimic Shakespeare's famous olden way— A style which, I hear, was all the rage. So here I am committing fourteen...
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  1. Yael on ‘Pope Leo XIV’s Green Mass’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis BryantJuly 14, 2025

    An interesting and timely poem Susan. Under the fourth seal, the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse rides a "hippos chloros",…

  2. Margaret Coats on ‘Family Affair’ and Other Poems by Russel WinickJuly 14, 2025

    Russel, I can't criticize anyone who shows up to honor the dead. Especially when it was a long life, the…

  3. Margaret Coats on ‘Together’: A Poem by Margaret CoatsJuly 14, 2025

    Warren, thank you immensely for this comment that I've waited so long to answer. You've helped me hold a place…

  4. Margaret Coats on ‘The Flower’s Refrain’: A Poem by Ulysses ArlenJuly 14, 2025

    "The Flower's Refrain" presents a rich and exquisite poetic meditation. While it offers many commonplaces of nature, these are powerfully…

  5. Margaret Coats on ‘Optimism’: A Poem for the Graduating Class of 2025, by Benjamin Daniel LukeyJuly 14, 2025

    In one college commencement address this year, optimism was counted as an American virtue. When citizens anywhere have it, their…

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