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    • Two Translations of the Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, by Leo Yankevich

      The Society
      July 1, 2018
      Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Translation
      8 Comments
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    • A Poem for Third Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Death, by Cynthia Erlandson

      The Society
      September 8, 2025
    • ‘To the Venezuelan Drug Runners Sleeping in the Sea’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi

      The Society
      September 7, 2025
      2
    • ‘Hope’: A Petrarchan Sonnet by Jeffrey Essmann

      The Society
      September 7, 2025
      8
    • ‘Black Holes’ and Other Poetry by Beth Houston

      The Society
      September 6, 2025
      2
    • ‘Last Minute Change’ and Other Short Poems by Frank Rable

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      September 5, 2025
      15
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      September 4, 2025
      7
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    • Haiku Competition 2021

      The Society
      July 28, 2021
      Beauty, Culture, Haiku and Senryu, Poetry, Poetry Contests
      807 Comments
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      The Society
      September 1, 2025
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      September 1, 2025
    • The Best Haiku of 2025: Winners of the 2025 SCP Haiku Competition

      The Society
      August 28, 2025
      13
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      The Society
      July 26, 2025
      3
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      June 21, 2025
      644
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      May 13, 2025
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  • A Poem for Third Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s Death, by Cynthia Erlandson

    The Society
    September 8, 2025
    Beauty, Culture, Poetry
  • ‘To the Venezuelan Drug Runners Sleeping in the Sea’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi

    The Society
    September 7, 2025
    Poetry, Satire
    2 Comments
  • ‘Hope’: A Petrarchan Sonnet by Jeffrey Essmann

    The Society
    September 7, 2025
    Beauty, Poetry
    8 Comments
  • ‘Black Holes’ and Other Poetry by Beth Houston

    The Society
    September 6, 2025
    Culture, Poetry, Science
    2 Comments
  • ‘Last Minute Change’ and Other Short Poems by Frank Rable

    The Society
    September 5, 2025
    Humor, Poetry
    15 Comments
  • ‘Prefab Tabernacle’: A Poem by Shaun C. Duncan

    The Society
    September 4, 2025
    Culture, Poetry
    7 Comments
  • ‘Poetic Justice’: A Poem on Russia-gate by Warren Bonham

    The Society
    September 4, 2025
    Poetry, Satire
    9 Comments
  • ‘Ned’s Bad Day’: A Poem by Cheryl Corey

    The Society
    September 3, 2025
    Culture, Poetry
    13 Comments
  • A Video Poetry Reading of ‘Libra’ by Patricia Rogers Crozier

    The Society
    September 3, 2025
    Poetry, Readings, Symposium, Video
    5 Comments
  • ‘Meddling’: A Poem by Mary Jane Myers

    The Society
    September 2, 2025
    Culture, Poetry
    3 Comments
  • ‘Sunflower Field’: A Poem by Adam Sedia

    The Society
    September 2, 2025
    Beauty, Poetry
    8 Comments
  • Two Views of Sleep: Poetry by Martin Briggs

    The Society
    September 1, 2025
    Culture, Poetry
    13 Comments

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘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...

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,...

‘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...

‘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...

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...

‘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...

‘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...

‘The FBI—Then and Now’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick

The Society
February 3, 2025
Culture, Poetry
11 Comments
. The FBI---Then and Now So respected when I was a kid, For the things we all read that they did, It’s substantially altered today--- Now we hardly...

‘Dead Sea Scrolls Trilogy’: Poems by Brian Yapko

The Society
February 2, 2025
Culture, Poetry
32 Comments
. Dead Sea Scrolls Trilogy “Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for...

‘The Grindstone’: A Poem by Michael Pietrack

The Society
February 2, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
18 Comments
. The Grindstone The grindstone spun as fiery sparks were sprayed,for even iron broke against his force,and by his edge the blunt became the bladea...

The Best Poems of 2024: Winners of SCP International Poetry Competition

The Society
February 1, 2025
Best Poems, Poetry, Poetry Contests
28 Comments
. The Best Poems of 2024: Winners of the 13th Annual SCP International Poetry Competition Judges C.B. Anderson, Susan Jarvis Bryant, Margaret...

Winners of 2024 SCP International High School Poetry Competition Announced

The Society
February 1, 2025
High School Submissions, Poetry, Poetry Contests
2 Comments
. First Place ($200 Prize) "The Shepherd God" Jane Schulert, 11th grade student at Redeemer Classical School in Indiana . Second Place "To Speak...

‘Forecast One to Two Inches’ and Other Poetry by Jeffrey Essmann

The Society
January 31, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
12 Comments
. Forecast One to Two Inches Within the snow’s approach I sense a hope Connected more to memory than truth. It fails to fall within the narrow...

‘The Untimely Demise of My Dear Uncle Sam’ and Other Poetry by Susan Steele Rives

The Society
January 31, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Satire
6 Comments
. The Untimely Demise of My Dear Uncle Sam I received the somber news __as sun set low today. My beloved Uncle Sam __by death was swept away. It...

‘Accidents Happen’: A Poem by Shaun C. Duncan

The Society
January 30, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
8 Comments
. Accidents Happen We’re told time tends toward catastrophe, And that a butterfly’s ephemeral wings Might quake the sky somewhere across the...

‘The Discharge of the Woke Brigade’: A Poem by Peter Lillios

The Society
January 30, 2025
Poetry, Satire
6 Comments
. The Discharge of the Woke Brigade ---after Tennyson Half a mil, half a mil, __Half a mil onward, __All from the Treasury ____Filched the...

‘The Settlers’: A Poem by Martin Rizley

The Society
January 29, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Poetry
18 Comments
. The Settlers —to my forefathers, and all the intrepid men and womenwho settled the Oklahoma panhandle. Across these barren hills, the cold winds...

‘Rather Drown Than Hang’: A Poem by A.R. Pereira

The Society
January 29, 2025
Culture, Poetry
2 Comments
. Rather Drown Than Hang “He who is destined for the gallows will not be drowned.” ---Russian proverb A lethal thing, the writ of man _that soaks...

Three Rhyming Riddles by Matthew J. Morris

The Society
January 28, 2025
Poetry, Riddles
10 Comments
. 1. A rainbow diced to tease unhurried brains __With rotating rows of parallel planes. What is it? . 2. With no known cure, this blight Bends down...

‘Wisdom and Sway’: A Poem by Mark F. Stone

The Society
January 28, 2025
Poetry, Satire
18 Comments
. Wisdom and Sway Life was tranquil and calm, not a care, not a qualm, in a town not too near you, but not far away. It was led by a mayor, a...

Society of Classical Poets High School Artwork Gallery—Winter 2025

The Society
January 27, 2025
Art, High School Submissions
2 Comments
. In line with its mission to preserve humankind's artistic traditions, the Society of Classical Poets is featuring the best of artwork submitted...

‘Snow Sonnet’: A Poem by Susan Norvill

The Society
January 27, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
18 Comments
. Snow Sonnet Where silent flakes of whiteness fill the air And cutting winds of winter come to rule The bitter storm of new year strips all...

‘The Great Rub-off’: A Poem by Martin Elster and Joan Axelrod-Contrada

The Society
January 26, 2025
Humor, Love Poems, Poetry
8 Comments
. The Great Rub-off Norm and Zip, in mismatched chairs, __were sipping tea and talking, when Desi, their loyal hound, said, “Listen, __you’re...

‘Mexican Sestina’ and Other Poetry by Geoffrey Smagacz

The Society
January 26, 2025
Culture, Poetry, Sestina
8 Comments
. Mexican Sestina Perhaps I left because I got too bored, and no one could put sense in my thick head, or talk me out of trekking to the beach by...

‘Tick. Tock. Tick.’: A Poem by Twila Brase

The Society
January 25, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
8 Comments
. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Silently beats an invisible clock. Night turns to day, day turns to night. Following a metronome nowhere...

‘Autumn Twilight’: A Poem by Cynthia Erlandson

The Society
January 25, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
21 Comments
. Autumn Twilight Full moon. Crickets singing. Scarlet sky.Long past summer solstice; now the sunDescends before the short day’s work is done.Last...

‘The Introvert’: A Poem by James Bontrager

The Society
January 24, 2025
Beauty, Poetry
13 Comments
. The Introvert Sequestered in an abstract mood,Replete in blissful solitude;Behind the veil of scenes overtYou’ll find the pensive introvert. You...

‘Rattler’: A Poem on Wyeth’s ‘Master Bedroom’, by Carl Kinsky

The Society
January 24, 2025
Ekphrastic, Poetry
14 Comments
. Rattler ---inspired by Master Bedroom, Andrew Wyeth, 1965 The walls and windows unadorned, the bedkept neatly made, the blanket smooth as cream,two...
poem/sale/epic

‘Libra’ and Other Poetry by Patricia Rogers Crozier

The Society
January 23, 2025
Beauty, Culture, Love Poems, Poetry
15 Comments
. Libra There in my hand I held a crystal vial Of distillation potent, red, and sweet, By which my broken heart was put on trial, And golden apples...
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  1. Joseph S. Salemi on ‘To the Venezuelan Drug Runners Sleeping in the Sea’: A Poem by Joseph S. SalemiSeptember 8, 2025

    Deepest thanks to you, Brian. Yes, I was in a state of exultation and I wrote this poem in less…

  2. Brian Yapko on ‘To the Venezuelan Drug Runners Sleeping in the Sea’: A Poem by Joseph S. SalemiSeptember 7, 2025

    Joe, this is a brilliant poem which you must have written at breakneck speed -- fueled, no doubt, by the…

  3. Cynthia L Erlandson on ‘Hope’: A Petrarchan Sonnet by Jeffrey EssmannSeptember 7, 2025

    This is such a wonderful sonnet, Jeffrey. It assures the reader (at least this one) that you truly do have…

  4. Anne Butler on Take a Tour of Poet Gigi Ryan’s ‘Backyard’September 7, 2025

    Hi Gigi! I found one of your lovely poems on Jewelweed, and wanted to ask permission to use it in…

  5. Paul A. Freeman on ‘Hope’: A Petrarchan Sonnet by Jeffrey EssmannSeptember 7, 2025

    'I like that (Hope) should hum instead of sing'. I felt this line summed up the poem. As we age,…

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