Latest Poetry Articles

Poetry Unbound

Jun 29

The state[s] of the world

What a poem can and cannot do

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 320 LIKES

Mary E.

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Jun 29

Dunya Mikail’s poem today seems to echo the words of Etty Hillesum which I read this morning in Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox.

It reads as follows … With so much horror in the world, it is easy to sink into despair. But then we find inspiration in the form of Etty Hillesum, the Dutch Jewish author killed in Auschwitz in 1943. What is amazing about her is that she was able to “stay human” in the midst of the most unspeakable suffering. She was already interned at a transit camp when she wrote the following: The sky is full of birds, the purple lupins stand up so regally and peacefully, two little old women have sat down for a chat, the sun is shining on my face – and right before our eyes, mass murder… The whole thing is simply beyond comprehension.And: Living and dying, sorrow and joy, the blisters on my feet and the jasmine behind the house, the persecution, the unspeakable horrors: it is all as one in me. Etty was somehow able to hold both extremes in her awareness.

I wonder if this is our invitation in this world we find ourselves in today? Can we “stay human” by caring and listening, crying and laughing, comforting and suffering, seeing the beauty and the pain? How do we live with our heart and soul portals open to it all?

Dwight Lee Wolter

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Jun 29

I do not believe her when she says, “I am sorry

my poem will not save you.” It seems to me that she knows that the poem indeed has the power to save us from indifference, inertia, and the paralysis of analysis.

I reread the poem and changed the line to “I am sorry my poem WILL save you” and it became a clarion call to action.

Poetry Unbound

Jun 15

"He showed me where my heart is"

(and other ways to praise a dog)

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 315 LIKES

Catherine Walker

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Jun 15

Dharma

by Billy Collins.

The way the dog trots out the front door

every morning

without a hat or an umbrella,

without any money

or the keys to her doghouse

never fails to fill the saucer of my heart

with milky admiration.

Who provides a finer example

of a life without encumbrance—

Thoreau in his curtainless hut

with a single plate, a single spoon?

Gandhi with his staff and his holy diapers?

Off she goes into the material world

with nothing but her brown coat

and her modest blue collar,

following only her wet nose,

the twin portals of her steady breathing,

followed only by the plume of her tail.

If only she did not shove the cat aside

every morning

and eat all his food

what a model of self-containment she

would be,

what a paragon of earthly detachment.

If only she were not so eager

for a rub behind the ears,

so acrobatic in her welcomes,

if only I were not her god.

Kym Dakin

•

Jun 15

Mar Oliver: A dog can never tell you what she knows of the smells of the world. But you know, watching her, that you know almost nothing.

Poetry Unbound

Jul 6

Conversation starters

and shyness

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 263 LIKES

maeve.fior

•

The thing I missed most during COVID was delightful chitchat with strangers and acquaintances -- on the train, in the grocery, out and about.

Talking to strangers has been a lifelong delight of mine (to the chagrin of my children -- though both now, as teenagers, have taken after their mother). I tone it down in Europe, fearful I'll sound like one of those rowdy and overly cheerful Americans, but the practice has led me to some wonderful experiences. To wit:

- on the remote island of Handa, off the northwest coast of Scotland, I laid down next to a woman on the edge of a 1,000 ft. cliff to watch the puffins. She and I got to talking and exchanging life data. Turns out she (a Scot) had been a counselor forty years before at the same camp that my children were attending while I was on vacation! We made a fast friendship and she ended up letting me stay with her the next summer. And her friend loaned me some camping equipment, handing me the key to her shed, saying, "Just put it back when you are done."

- in a different, equally remote part of Scotland a different year, my husband and I chatted with a friendly Glaswegian (redundant phrase, actually) for ten minutes. He and I kept in touch over the year and I have stayed with him on subsequent trips. We are still friends.

- a young man at the local gas station where I'd get coffee several times a week made conversation with me over books (he was always behind the counter reading something). When he disappeared one day, I asked the owner where he'd gone. He didn't know. It took some doing, but I found out he'd tried to commit suicide and was at an inpatient program. I brought him books at the hospital and now, ten years later, he annually borrows our house for a staycation, taking care of our cats when we go overseas.

My gregariousness is born of an insatiable curiosity for other people and from being raised in Kentucky, where everyone is chatty -- each interaction is like a cuddle or a flirt. Living in New England has its merits, but the people are much less chatty in public spaces.

Karen Ehrens

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While trying to recall a positive experience of successful communication, what filled my mind were a couple hundred awkward and anxious social situations. I show my best smile, catch an eye, focus on listening, and manage not to get a word in at all! So I come to this page and challenge myself to share a little something each week. With an investment of time, I am happy when I find just one meaningful exchange to start my week well!

Poetry Unbound

Jun 22

Airport connections

Human connections too

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 272 LIKES

maeve.fior

•

Jun 22

When my kids (now teens) were age 2.5 and a newborn, I took them on a trip back home. It was a great visit with my family, albeit exhausting (and I had undiagnosed postpartum depression). On the flight home (our second), my kids fell apart and I didn't know what to do, which one to tend to first.

A kind woman came to my aisle and said, "What can I do?" Another woman patted me and said, "You'll get through this. I promise."

Without a second thought, I handed the first woman my son, the 3-month -old, saying only, "His name is Henry." And I turned back to my daughter to calm her down. That woman, whose name I never found out, played with Henry for two hours, leaving me to nap with my now-calmed toddler. When I was leaving the plane, a third mom handed me a handwritten letter.

I still wish I could find her to thank her.

You can read her letter here: https://flic.kr/p/2rcmJRG and https://flic.kr/p/2rcmgRs

Mary E.

•

Jun 22

In the early 1970’s, I was in Chile after their military overthrow. I traveled with friends from Osorno, in the south of Chile, to Temuco by train. We were looking for a place to live and work. After a few days there, we were returning to Osorno by train. However, our train was not departing until close to midnight. Not wishing to sit in the train station for hours and not really having a place to stay we sat down in the Cathedral. Resting in the silence of that comfortable space we had our shoes off. Unexpectedly someone came up along side of us and asked if we were ok. We explained we were just resting before heading to the train station for a late train to Osorno. The man invited us to his house for a meal and offered us rooms to rest. He even drove us later that night to the train station for our train. He was the pastor of that church and over all these years I still recall with fondness his kindness and selfless generosity! I also remember the immense gratitude that filled our hearts for each kindness that was extended to us that day.

Poetry Culture

Jul 4

Sunday Sharing - You're Invited!

A quiet time to connect with others in the Poetry Culture community.

Poetry Culture is hosting our first Sunday Sharing session on Google Meet!

Poetry Culture ∙ 6 LIKES

Kevin Em

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I'll be there! -K.C. (Sacramento, CA)

Patrick Boström

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I can’t see Stockholm Sweden on the list? 🤔

Poetry, YES!

Jul 2

Yes, Poetry, YES!

Spiritual Poetics--July 5, 2025

Yes, there will be a Zoom reading and discussion this Saturday, with an open reading. Click on the underlined link below at the appointed time to join.

Bruce Isaacson ∙ 3 LIKES

VERVE Poetry Festival

Jun 30

JUNE Poems of the Month

These poems confess the burning immediacy of love and bow deeply to those who dare to live outside the rules; non-conformity as devotion, as praise, as force.

These poems, like most poems, are praises. They guide their creators back to honesty, deliberately confess the urgency of love, worship and thank the queer minded with all manifestations of non-conformist living. They fall in love with language in the eloquence of French jokes, ache (

VERVE Poetry ∙ 16 LIKES

Poetry Culture

Jun 27

Anniversary

An essay about loss.

Note: This short essay was written for my late friend, and, as a result, reader discretion is advised. While most of our content is uplifting, this one honestly presents grief and loss.

Poetry Culture ∙ 16 LIKES

Kristin Wong

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Jun 28

This is so beautiful, Alex. I'm so sorry for your loss.

Teresa Mak

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Jun 28

Sorry for your loss. I too had a friend who took his life. Years later, it’s still a loss and there’s still grief.. it’s just a little different. Thank you for sharing this. It’s a very tender piece and it also reminded me of my dear friend.

Poetry Bulletin

Jun 17

Poetry Bulletin: Summer 2025

15+ deadlines for poetry books, creative resources / residencies / deadlines, and more

Hi poets — I’m trying something new and doing a June/July/August bulletin, to group the (northern hemisphere) summer months together. I hope this is more helpful for your planning, since the rhythm of deadlines, child care situations, revision energy, etc. can vary so much during this season.

Emily Stoddard ∙ 27 LIKES

angel

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Jun 19

Grateful for this ongoing effort, thank you Emily!

Michael Stalcup

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Jun 18

Thanks for this thoughtful newsletter. Looking forward to reading some of the pieces you linked to as well. Cheers from Bangkok!

unusual.poetry

Jul 6

5 songs that are more poetry than music

I was listening to my playlist and realised that since I started writing poetry my music taste changed.

unusual poetry ∙ 27 LIKES

Oreoluwa Onasanya

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mother I sober feels like the Kendrick pick

Uplift Poetry

Jun 16

170+ Upcoming Poetry Events

Open mics, poetry slams, book launches, workshops and more!

This week’s newsletter is brimming with 170+ exciting upcoming poetry events.

Uplift Poetry ∙ 4 LIKES

Poetry Pals

Jul 1

Poetry Pals Book Club - July '25

Safia Elhillo - Girls that Never Die

Book Club July: ‘Girls That Never Die’

Nelly Bryce ∙ 8 LIKES

Kürta

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I'm in!

Tamsin 🍂

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I’ll be there, like that proverbial old penny turning up yet again. By the 27th I might even have received last months book 🤦🏼‍♀️.

10 poetry notebooks

Jun 26

Pen & Page Prompt No. 2

This week: Considering how the life you didn't choose is still speaking

10 poetry notebooks ∙ 21 LIKES

Ahmed

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Jun 29

"To the Other One"

Don't get me wrong.

Are we along?

I didn't choose you,

and it suppose to be fun.

I'm not king Kong.

I'm not ding dong.

I don't want to be number one

or someone who never was known.

Life isn't a ping pong.

It is the wheel that I spin.

So, let the steak be well done

and let us sing a new song.

Gautama

•

Jun 28

A LAMENT FOR THE PATH NOT TAKEN

To never know the solemn silence of God

Waking while the world sleeps, to sing the Psalms

To never read scriptures, dreaming of Thy rod

To not know my brethren's comforting arms

I curse the path of my oblivion,

damn the need of my loins, robbing my call

Only knowing torments of perdition

and never know the Pleroma, The All

In the twilight of my life I've found

something akin to the path not taken

Each day revolves around silence profound

I wake while the world remains unshaken

While I lament for the path not taken

It seems God has not left me forsaken

Oxford Poetry’s Substack

Jul 3

A poem by Zain Rishi

2nd runner-up in the 2024 Oxford Poetry Prize

INGLAND

29 LIKES

Poetry Unbound

Jun 8

The vocation of language

the vocation of community

Dear friends:

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 234 LIKES

Julie

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Jun 8

I'm back at the hospital having post cancer treatment scans at the moment. As soon as I am through the doors of the unit I am connected immediately to a collective experience of the people there. We are all ages- young and old- , different cultures with many individual fears and hopes. We are all in a similar space with some being able to share- others not. Above all we are all ' held ' by staff who are sensitive to the individual needs of all of us- even when time constraints are a pressure. It feels like we are living - just for a short while- in a bubble that carries all that is best about being human. How precious these spaces are, where sadness and fear all get mixed in the great melting pot with kindness and the gift of those who support during such times. Thankyou to you all.

Karen Ehrens

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Jun 8

At least there are flowers. This past week, what kept me inspired was flowers. On a walk, I came upon a bush laden with luscious pink roses. A day later, some voluptuous deep maroon peonies. I captured their beauty with photos and texted to my friends with an end-of-week encouragement through beauty. I would add the photos to this post for you all, but can’t. So I invite you to seek beauty or to imagine the lovely roses and peonies.

Plein Air Poetry

Jun 25

Maine Memories: Low Tide and Pink Flamingos

Plein Air Ponderings

Bar Island, Mt. Desert, Maine / July 16, 2024

Plein Air Poetry, Alexandra McIntosh, and Brad Davis ∙ 23 LIKES

Laney Mills

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I love the way you incorporate the sale of your paintings into each piece. Visually very appealing! I just subscribed and look forward to reading! Laney from Laney's Words Poetry

Joshua Shockley

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Jun 27

I just walked that path to the island a month ago - that's so fun!

Plein Air Poetry

Jul 4

Ode to the Clown I Wanted to Be When I Was a Child (+ a Secret Garden Painting)

a recent poem and painting

Ode to the Clown I Wanted to Be When I Was a Child

Plein Air Poetry, Alexandra McIntosh, and Brad Davis ∙ 17 LIKES

Mark McCormick

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That is one dang good painting. I think maybe you have to be a painter to understand how hard it would be to paint those white hydrangeas in the sun! And love the poem too especially the "highest balcony" image.

David Kirkby

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Ah! A happy poem, friend Alex.

At least - I assume so, and that your Brother is alive and well.

It's really interesting thought - Poet as Clown. So is the line "I grew out of my extroversion and onto the page." I had never quite thought of it that way, but as a child I was far far more outgoing than I am now. My ideal social gathering is a size of 2, with Meg as my friend. At a pinch I can manage another 3 or 4, and anything more than a group of 10 makes me want to run away.

As a child though, I was not so reserved - though I did always enjoy being on my own.

Have you done public Poetry readings? I haven't done any for at least 23 years - but when I did, it surprised me that I could do it at all. Maybe I should try clown face paint... :)

I adore your last 2 lines...

Best Wishes - Dave :)

PS Another lovely painting by Brad!

10 poetry notebooks

Jun 19

Poetry and Obsession

Because some poems won't let go

10 poetry notebooks ∙ 33 LIKES

Corinne Walsh

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Jun 20

There's a sweet and painful pop song Missy Higgins sings called WHERE I STOOD. In it she laments the fact that she is obsessing and part of her knows she should let go, for all kinds of reasons. The lyric is something like, "I don't know who I am, who I am without you, but I should." When I find myself writing my same poem, again, I catch myself thinking, I'm not sure who I am as a poet if I'm not writing about that (same) irresistible connection that brought me to writing poetry in the first place --but I should. And when I write the poem that I think I should, . . . well, I'm sure you all know what that feels like and what happens when you write a poem you think you should. Write poems, have no regrets about the poems you write or don't write. The exploration, is the path. Thanks for this post, it gave me the inspiration to reclaim my muse without a second thought (doubt). From "Weeds" by Edna St. Vincent Millay: White with daisies, and red with Sorrel/ And empty, empty, under the sky --/ Life is a quest and love is a quarrel. Can't find another of her poems that isn't exactly that.

Janaka Stagnaro

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Jun 21

The image of Monet and his seasonal painting of haystacks came to mind. I have no writing ritual, using a pen in a notebook, a journal, or just typing into a computer. Fine article.

Null Point: Fiction & Poetry

Jul 3

Make Poetry Punk Again: A Conversation with Josh Datko

Author Interview

B. Eldon Calder ∙ 23 LIKES

Mahdi Meshkatee

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Josh included one of my poems in his podcast and that made my day. His reading definitely added something to it.

Allison Taylor Conway

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My heart about exploded to take this all in. I just think the world of you both. I can't believe I get to call you friends, when you are such pillars of inspiration and dedication to craft in my eyes.

Brock, you set the intro perfectly at the beginning and kept us focused on exactly what I have found most compelling about Josh's work as well. And of course, Josh himself, punk and heart in equal measure. Thank you! Beautifully done.

And Josh, you are an absolute treasure. I took in every word you said here and I'm so incredibly grateful that you open up about the perspectives you have on life as a wide-ranging artist of so many tactile kinds. You sink into your originality and have given me courage and excitement to do the same myself. All the while demonstrating what it truly means (and takes) to relish in developing real relationships and community with us. You have a warmth and a gravity that is all your own and makes so many of us feel right at home inside. You are like poets' homebase. :)

I'm so taken by what you said about folding time, bringing the voices of the past into the present. And how the cassette tapes frustrate the impulse to just 'move on already.' It's fucking brilliant, and timely, and hearing you talk about it in this format is such a gift.

I adore you guys. Hope you know it. Thank you for this interview! What a damn treat.

The Poetry Zoo

Jul 4

CHAPTER FIVE: Is Spot in Heaven?

(The Poetry Zoo by Sam Staggs)

I would sacrifice every diamond I own or ever have owned for the life of one of my animals. — Zsa Zsa Gabor

Sam Staggs

Ginger

•

Insightful and entertaining!

Was Eleanor B Campbell the illustrator of Dick and Jane pages?

cataloguing poetry magazine

Jul 1

Ruins

by: Mary Meriam

numbers happen close behind my eyes

cataloguing poetry magazine ∙ 25 LIKES

The Poetry Salon with Tresha Faye Haefner and Friends

Jul 7

Poetry World is Built on Friendships

Angela Narciso Torres on Winning a Pushcart, Finishing a Her Latest Manuscript, and the Value of Community

Poetry World is Built on Friendships

Tresha Faye Haefner, Angela N Torres, and Danusha Laméris ∙ 3 LIKES

The Magi & Ali Poetry Show’s Substack

Jul 1

The chalked outline of a dead poet on the carpet

WRITTEN BY ALI WHITELOCK

Glasgow is my happy place. It is a city heaving with grunt, grunge, music, history, creativity, too much deep fried food (yes, Mars Bars and lately, Cadbury’s Creme Eggs, who does that?), incredible architecture, the best Indian food you will ever taste, art, poetry, Magi Gibson and absolute wonder.

The Magi & Ali Poetry Show ∙ 10 LIKES

Karen OBrien

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Brilliant Ali

Judith Herald

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I try to skim through and find at least one poem that catches my eye and/or heart before parting with money.

Poetry is subjective and I've found it hard to read anything that been awarded some of the "super serious" literary prizes.

Cerulean Hues Poetry

Jun 24

A Week In Substack Poetry #22

Join me in discovering 10+1 poems published on Substack from 16 June to June 22, 2025! As usual, we have a colorful ensemble of poetry!

Hey Friends! We have an exciting lineup again! Don't forget to ❤️ and share the poems that resonate with you! Your personal connection to the poems is what makes our community so engaging!This post is public so feel free to share it.

Tim Jagodzinski ∙ 25 LIKES