‘Ilaria Smiles’ by Lawrence Fray The Society February 8, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry 18 Comments Ilaria Del Carretto was the second wife of Paolo Guinigi of Lucca. Her sepulchre lies in Lucca’s Duomo San Martino and the tall Guinigi tower...
‘The Problem with Socialism’ by Andrew Benson Brown The Society February 7, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Poetry 22 Comments The Problem with Socialism Upon Reading Charles Murray's Coming Apart Some sit on clouds and moonburn as they dream, Skin blistered pale...
A Poem on Li Wenliang, Doctor Who Exposed the Coronavirus, by Bruce Dale Wise The Society February 6, 2020 Covid-19, Culture, Human Rights in China, Poetry 14 Comments Li Wenliang (1985 - 2020) by Dr. Weslie Ubeca Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist, worked in Wuhan; and when he saw the new coronavirus coming...
‘Sunday Visitors – Parts 1 & 2’ by Derek Bland The Society February 6, 2020 Beauty, Poetry, Short Stories 6 Comments Part 1 I wished I’d had a shotgun as I looked out of me window To level at the woman and the lad. They’re strolling up the dirt track...
“A Child’s Winter Inventory” and Other Poetry by Anna J. Arredondo The Society February 5, 2020 Beauty, Children's, Culture, Humor, Poetry 10 Comments A Child’s Winter Inventory Winter ‘87-’88 Twittering birds; Chattering teeth; Snow coats the trees In an icy sheath. Glittering...
‘The Magic Lamp of Al-Jafar: A Terza Rima’ by James A. Tweedie The Society February 4, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Short Stories, Terza Rima 12 Comments While walking through the Grand Bazaar In Istanbul, I came upon A man whose name was Al-Jafar. His friendly face was thin and drawn, A...
A Poem for Black History Month: Excerpts from Two Mistakes, by Martin Hill Ortiz The Society February 3, 2020 Culture, Epic, Poetry 4 Comments Two Mistakes is a drama-length poem in metered verse for which I won second place in the Tom Howard / Margaret Reid Poetry Prize. The full...
‘Bring On the Leeches’ and Other Humorous Poems by C.B. Anderson The Society February 2, 2020 Culture, Humor, Poetry 10 Comments Bring On the Leeches A condition called aspergillosis, And a touch of marasmus as well, Was the surgeon’s succinct diagnosis. All my innards...
The Best Poems of 2019 The Society February 1, 2020 Best Poems, From the Society, Poetry, Poetry Contests 11 Comments The Best Poems of 2019: Winners of 8th Annual International SCP Poetry Competition Thank you to everyone who participated! It was an epic year with...
Winners of 2020 High School Poetry Competition Announced The Society February 1, 2020 High School Submissions, Poetry, Poetry Contests 2 Comments Thank you to every one who participated! The quality of the high school poems submitted this year was stunning. First Place ($100...
Winners of 2020 Poetry Translation Competition Announced The Society February 1, 2020 Poetry, Poetry Contests, Translation 1 Comment Thank you to everyone who participated! The quality of submitted translations continues to rise. First Place ($100 Prize): Margaret Coats,...
‘Sonnet for a Homecoming’ and Other Poetry by Diana G. Woodcock The Society January 31, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 5 Comments Sonnet for a Homecoming Best way of all to be welcomed back at last, Returning home from months of life abroad: Spring songs of birds arouse me...
‘Eternal Rose’ by Shari Jo LeKane The Society January 30, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 1 Comment The autumn sun warming keeps rose bushes forming well into the days of December, but frost without warning one fine winter...
‘Proverbs for Engraving onto Imperial Monuments’ and Other Poetry by Daniel Galef The Society January 30, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Epigrams and Proverbs, Humor, Poetry 3 Comments Proverbs for Engraving onto Imperial Monuments War is the price of freedom. Depths bewilder. The blow aimed at the beast hits him who shields...
‘At Königstein Festung’ by Gleb Zavlanov The Society January 29, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 6 Comments Within the shadow of the fortress wall, I stand agape; such gross, exquisite scale. My bulging eyes attempt to take in all But sadly,...
‘An English Ode’ and Other Odes by William Glyn-Jones The Society January 28, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry An English Ode That famous field where nodding poppies sway In sunlit grass, where souls of all the good Spend sweet Eternity in dance and...
‘Song of the Rose’ and Other Poetry by Joseph Charles MacKenzie The Society January 27, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Love Poems, Poetry 16 Comments Song of the Rose The rose awakens, ere the sky Has wakened to the sun; And we, my one true love and I, Awaken with a tender sigh, To...
‘Victus’ and Other Poetry by Luke Hahn The Society January 26, 2020 Beauty, Culture, High School Submissions, Poetry 17 Comments Victus a response to William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus,” from which the first two lines of the final stanza are taken. Dry chatter of...
‘A Letter to Sir Grammar’ and Other Poetry by Dania El-Ghattis The Society January 26, 2020 Beauty, Culture, High School Submissions, Humor, Poetry 8 Comments A Letter to Sir Grammar Dear Sir Grammar: With all kindness and courtesy, may I request, A new package of words, freshly made, For,...
‘The Turkey Vulture’ by Anna J. Arredondo The Society January 25, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry, The Raven 18 Comments Years ago—I still remember: final Thursday in November, I was in my kitchen cooking food to rival feasts of yore; To and fro sashaying,...
‘The Lorelei’ by Heinrich Heine (1797-1856) The Society January 25, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Translation 7 Comments translation by Anna Leader I do not know what it might bode That I should be so sad, A fairytale from long ago Now will not leave my...
‘Praise for Fall’ and Other Poetry by Janice Canerdy The Society January 24, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry 7 Comments Praise for Fall You float in on a late September breeze with still-warm days and mild, cool nights in tow. It’s not your way to bring the...
‘Thank You Sonnet’ and Other Poetry by James Sale The Society January 23, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 15 Comments Thank You Sonnet This thanking you in sonnet form might seem Somewhat unusual, but I think it best, Simply to show how simply lines are...
‘Forgotten’ and Other Poetry by Randal A. Burd, Jr. The Society January 22, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry Forgotten The grass has overgrown the weathered stone Since they first placed his body in the ground, And visitors no longer come...
‘Mama’ and Other Poetry by Sally Cook The Society January 21, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry, The Environment 19 Comments Mama My mama took two drinks a year; A shot glass down the gullet— Yet hated bars and abhorred beer. Would execute a pullet— An ax, a...
‘Et In Arcadia Ego’ and Other Poetry by Michael Coy The Society January 21, 2020 Beauty, Humor, Poetry 6 Comments Et In Arcadia Ego Oh, that's it, Keko. Pass through. Go ahead. Just walk across my books without a glance, with all that arrogant...
‘What Song Shall I Sing?’ by James A. Tweedie The Society January 20, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 35 Comments What song shall I sing for a nation divided By politics, race, economics, and power? By what sweet refrain shall our nation be...
Write a Poem on One of These Images The Society January 19, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Ekphrastic, Poetry, Poetry Contests 39 Comments The above photographs were taken and submitted by New York City poet Joe Tessitore. We invite readers to pick one of the images (or both) and write a...
Three Translations of the Poetry of Jean Froissart, by Margaret Coats The Society January 18, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Deconstructing Communism, Poetry, Rondeau, Translation 3 Comments Translator's note: The following consists of three poems by Jehan (or Jean) Froissart (c.1335–c.1410), translated not very literally but as far as...
‘Song at Sunset’ by Connie Phillips The Society January 18, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Humor, Poetry 6 Comments Song at Sunset The sun sets ‘neath the mountain top: __A golden orb that blinks And just for seconds lights the sky __Ablaze before it...
‘Requiem for the U.N.’ and Other Poetry by Rod Walford The Society January 17, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 6 Comments Requiem for the U.N. 73 years—countless billions of dollars— And here we are today... Behold the statesmen smartly dressed Assembled from...
‘To You, My Wife’ and Other Poetry by Angel L. Villanueva The Society January 16, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Love Poems, Poetry, Villanelle 8 Comments To You, My Wife a villanelle To you, my wife, my love I declare, My joy and gain, a gift to me blessed, A morning flower of beauty and...
FoFG 2020 Poetry Contest: Adult, College, and High School Awards The Society January 15, 2020 Deconstructing Communism, Human Rights in China, Poetry, Poetry Contests 1 Comment Fight for Freedom. Write for Freedom. A Great Cause, Plus Over $1,200 in Prizes and No Submission Fee. Today, the communist government of China,...
‘Grapes’ and More Phobia Limerick Riddles by Jan Darling The Society January 15, 2020 Culture, Humor, Limerick, Poetry, Riddles 9 Comments Grapes Peel me a grape But remove the seed I love the flesh But have no need Of hard encounters In the skin Juicy, fat, dry or thin. On...
Ecclesiastes 3, Recast in Classical Poetry, by T.M. Moore The Society January 14, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry, Terza Rima 13 Comments Eternity in Our Hearts after Ecclesiastes 3 I contemplated all these matters from beneath the heaven, seeing things the way God sees...
An American in Rome: Five Sonnets by Ambassador Peter Bridges The Society January 13, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 12 Comments I. Return to Rome Turn, turn, sing Seeger and the Shakers, turn Till one day all comes right—but is it so? Here down Domitian’s track...
‘My Daughter Sees a Starling on the Lawn’ and Other Poetry by Mark Anthony Signorelli The Society January 12, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 7 Comments My Daughter Sees a Starling on the Lawn I thought to tell you how the bird was called, What symbol circumscribed the creature’s...
‘Mozart in Heaven’ by Conor Kelly The Society January 12, 2020 Acrostic, Beauty, Culture, Poetry 22 Comments Who is that smiling cherub whose huge wings, Open, extended, like a swan in flight, Lifts him above the angels to a height From which he conducts,...
‘A Moving Experience’ and Other Poetry by Raymond Gallucci The Society January 11, 2020 Culture, Humor, Poetry 24 Comments A Moving Experience We’re the Stooges Three—your moving company. If it ain’t broke before we tote, it soon enough will be. Your furniture...
‘The Rock’ by Nathaniel Todd McKee The Society January 10, 2020 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 13 Comments In Frenchman bay, near Otter Point, the sea Against an ancient rock comes crashing down. This grey-clad cliff protrudes its stony...
