Latest Poetry Articles

Poetry Unbound

Jan 12

On being with each other

Encounter and change

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 206 LIKES

Lyn Taylor Hale

•

The most wondrous thing I have come to learn, when I am hurting because of misunderstanding, miscommunication, or separateness, I have only come to learn in the last few years. How I wish I had known it a long, long time ago. That is, that I have the ability, in times of need, to hold myself. It looks like this. When the Lyn shows up who is wounded by misunderstanding or judgement or some such thing, or who is frightened by circumstances or by the uncertainty that is being alive, the Lyn who is competent and confident, and so loving and nurturing, can show up, too. She can hold the weakest part of me, and comfort her. Let her know I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here. She can be certain of that. This amazing ability, to be both the holder and the held, is, indeed a thing of profound wonder to me.

Estelle Price

•

We have a house by the sea. For a long time the view was hidden by a hedge until one year we lowered the willow and, like a curtain going up, the ocean reappeared. For a few years we loved its distant promise - sometimes slate sometimes ice sometimes simply blue. We journeyed with each white-sailed yacht from left to right.

Then our neighbour got permission to build a barn. A big barn. We tried to stop it but failed. We suspected his motives. He was irritated with our protest.

The anticipation of the barn ate into the view like an infection. The day it was built, for a short time we could still see through the steel structure. Then the sea was gone. A slither of it still to either side but the main belly of the ocean, lost.

A couple of years later and the slither is a thing of wonder. Even though it is far smaller than the barn, it is this piece of water my eyes rest on when I look, in the morning, to the horizon. Some days my mind doesn’t even see the corrugated-green-barn. The barn that has given us an opportunity to plant a family of saplings, eucalyptus and oak, as a screen.

And our relationship with our neighbour? Not quite fixed but cordial and an ongoing opportunity to open up the engine that is forgiveness and check it is in working order.

Poetry Unbound

Jan 5

Kitchen Hymns

Saying the things you want to say

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 341 LIKES

Mary

•

Jan 5

My brother Jimmy passed away, age 10, after months of illness.

I was nearly 7, a quiet, shy girl who attended a Catholic school. The morning he died I was awakened by a neighbor.

It was early, dark and cold, the heart of winter, the ground covered in a deep snow.

I found my mother, sitting on the steps, quiet, weary, yet composed.

I sat next to her. From there, through the kitchen, I could see my brother in a hospital bed in the dining room.

I looked at my mother and asked "why is Jimmy there? I thought he went to heaven."

She replied, gently, with emotional strength in the moment, "his spirit only goes to heaven".

Oh! I pondered.

We were very quiet, I felt safe, at peace.

My father just then entered a room and cried.

God was there, in our quiet, my father's tears.

Jeffrey Good

•

Jan 5

One of my favorite modern mystics, Jim Finley, says God is the presence that protects us from nothing yet inexplicably sustains us in our darkest hours. Another, Howard Thurman, taught me to find comfort in the solitary embrace of the pine trees and salt air surrounding my home in coastal Maine.

So yes, with absolute certainty and absolute uncertainty, I find solace and wonder all around. I believe in poetry, which is to say, I believe in God.

Poetry Unbound

December 29, 2024

Whatever gets us through

Poems and laughter etc.

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 294 LIKES

Mona Chopra

•

Dec 29

Oh what a delightful, and deep, little poem. “The Committee Weighs In” - I love this title, as the poem feels like an expression of that which has weightiness and that which is weightless… and seeing the insubstantiality of that which appears weighty (whoa, the Nobel prize! and yet, her mother’s “Again?” knocking it right off its pedestal; the weightiness of “dead” and yet “we play a game” seems somehow to supersede even the weight and seeming finality of death. And that’s where “we pretend” - I love this! - “that I’m somebody” - which could be in the I’m somebody special kind of way, or it could be also referring to the insubstantiality of “self” - that last line expressing the depth of Buddhist teachings on “no birth, no death.” Maybe the pretending carries the greatest wisdom? But mostly what moved me was her mom’s nonchalant response to her daughter’s announcement of winning the Nobel prize. And the conversation itself.

On my bday this year which marked 50 years since I transitioned out of my mom’s womb and it marked 100 days since my mom transitioned out of her earthly body - I committed to writing a letter to my mom every day. It’s been a profound practice, and support. “Whatever gets us through.” What my mom couldn’t do in her life (get her younger daughter to be consistent about many things!), she accomplished, mostly, through her death. The ongoing relationship… is everything. There is humor, sadness, regret, patience, connection, understanding, memory, imagination … and love. profound enduring love.

What is the role of our imagination?

The role of that which is invisible?

What are the stories we tell ourselves?

There are the material conditions of reality, undeniable. Yes. And then there is what we tell ourselves about it all. What we pay attention to. How we make meaning. This is the gift you repeatedly offer us, Pádraig, through the poetry you share, and your reflections, insights, questions, and invitations. Thank you!

Elaine T

•

Dec 29

What moves you in it? And where does it move you to?

It brought me to tears, not the good cry I need, but at least a few tears to release some steam so that the pan doesn’t overflow on the stove.

I went and read the essay by Andrea Cohen and was further moved by the humor in the midst of life and grief and pain. It is like finding a friend you didn’t know you had, a fellow traveler who looks at life the way you do, who can talk of the serious stuff but why not laugh a little on the way to tears?

When my husband was dying, in fact the morning of the day he died, or maybe it's the day before? He died around 2 am so I guess this story would be the day before?

Anyway, he came out of the bathroom after showering. He stopped in the hallway and sort of bemoaned how much weight he had lost, how skinny he was. He said “I look like a praying mantis.” With his long body, arms, and legs and big ole head, he did. He did look like a praying mantis.

I love praying mantis. I make window box flower arrangements on our porch each year. And when I find one taking up residence in them, I am thrilled and overjoyed.

So when he said “I look like a praying mantis.”, I did not hesitate but said to him that you know how much I love praying mantis, do this and imitated the motion they make with their long arms. He did it. We both laughed and I helped him get back to the couch.

It is such a sweet memory to me. His last day on earth, our last little laugh together.

Poetry Pals

December 29, 2024

Poetry Pals in 2025

Poetry (pen) Pals #49 - what I've learnt and where next?

At the start of the year this poetry Substack was nothing but an idea. I wondered if I might be writing to myself for twelve months. I wondered if in sharing my annual, ‘Year of 100 Poems’ project I might burst the bubble.

Nelly Bryce ∙ 35 LIKES

Sue Spiers

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Dec 29

Great post Nelly, lots to think about. I would love to learn more about putting a poem together, now that may sound silly, but I am.an avid poetry reader..I wrote a lot of haiku a few years ago, but I struggle to write a poem. Lack of confidence and procrastination stop me. Any answers welcome.

Take care. Looking forward to future posts and getting involved more.

Love and Peace 🙏 💖 ✨️ ✌️

Alix Klingenberg

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so grateful to be connected here, Nelly! Let's do a collaboration sometime this year! I'd love to feature you or do a joint post maybe?

Poetry Pals

Jan 12

Want to create a 'poetry chain'?

Poetry (pen) Pals #52

Erm, hello letter number 52!?!! We did it. A whole year of prompts and letters and sharing poetry. That feels pretty good right!?

Nelly Bryce ∙ 27 LIKES

LeeAnn Pickrell

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Fast Food, by Carolyn Miller

Sometimes after piano lessons on Capp Street

or ballet class in the Richmond,

my two young daughters and I would drive

in our red Toyota station wagon to

the Jack in the Box on Lombard, then wait

our turn in the line up to the window, where I,

the mother, would ask for what we wanted:

one grilled chicken sandwich, four tacos,

three French fries, three orange sodas, and just like that,

they were handed to me—hot, icy, salty, sweet—

and we parked in a nearby alley and opened

the crisp red-and-white paper sacks and the small

containers of ketchup and sauce, smell of food

blooming in the closed room of the car,

paper cups of soda and little squares of ice clinking,

dark outside the windows, ceiling light on inside.

Nelly Bryce

•

The Hug, by Tess Gallagher.

A woman is reading a poem on the street

and another woman stops to listen. We stop too,

with our arms around each other. The poem

is being read and listened to out here

in the open. Behind us

no one is entering or leaving the houses.

Suddenly a hug comes over me and I'm

giving it to you, like a variable star shooting light

off to make itself comfortable, then

subsiding. I finish but keep on holding

you. A man walks up to us and we know he hasn't

come out of nowhere, but if he could, he

would have. He looks homeless because of how

he needs. "Can I have one of those?" he asks you,

and I feel you nod. I'm surprised,

surprised you don't tell him how

it is–that I'm yours, only

yours, etc., exclusive as a nose to

its face. Love–that's what we're talking about, love

that nabs you with "for me

only" and holds on.

So I walk over to him and put my

arms around him and try to

hug him like I mean it. He's got an overcoat on

so thick I can't feel

him past it. I'm starting the hug

and thinking, "How big a hug is this supposed to be?

How long shall I hold this hug?" Already

we could be eternal, his arms falling over my

shoulders, my hands not

meeting behind his back, he is so big!

I put my head into his chest and snuggle

in. I lean into him. I lean my blood and my wishes

into him. He stands for it. This is his

and he's starting to give it back so well I know he's

getting it. This hug. So truly, so tenderly

we stop having arms and I don't know if

my lover has walked away or what, or

if the woman is still reading the poem, or the houses–

what about them?–the houses.

Clearly, a little permission is a dangerous thing.

But when you hug someone you want it

to be a masterpiece of connection, the way the button

on his coat will leave the imprint of

a planet in my cheek

when I walk away. When I try to find some place

to go back to.

Weirdo Poetry

Jan 3

What if you replaced self-help with poetry?

Your one wild, precious life

Hello, Wanderers!

Jason McBride ∙ 100 LIKES

Liz Gauffreau

•

Jan 3

Much food for thought in your essay. I've spent the week making lists to organize my work for the upcoming year and stave off anxiety. In theory.

Stella Kalaw

•

Jan 3

I needed this, Jason. My family’s life has been upended with the sudden illness of my sister. You help make sense of what’s been regurgitating in my mind. Your approach to life is inspiring— a way forward to keep me going. THANK YOU!

Poetry Bulletin

Jan 8

2025 Poetry Book Publishing: Trends, Deadlines, and a Tool for Your Submissions

173 reading periods in 2025. 44% of them make submission fees accessible in some way. Who are you sharing your poetry with this year?

Hey poets—it’s now been seven years (!!) of this project. If you’re new here, the Poetry Bulletin is: a free spreadsheet of submission periods for poetry books / a collective resource made better by sharing info with each other, through monthly updates / a project of building access and transparency.

Emily Stoddard ∙ 61 LIKES

Sarah Teresa Cook

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This is so fucking important. You're doing brilliant work.

Zivah Avraham

•

What a wonderful resource, thank you so much!

Poetry Unbound

December 8, 2024

Poetry and the time it takes

(Time and the poetry it makes)

Dear friends,

Pádraig Ó Tuama ∙ 274 LIKES

Jenn Hope

•

Dec 8

What I didn’t expect is that in adulthood you don’t leave being a child behind. I spent so much time as a child dreaming of growing up and escaping, but when I did, I took myself with me. I’m glad I did now, but it would have terrified me then.

David Levy

•

Dec 8

As a child I didn’t know about or experience my own mortality; how vulnerable the flesh can be. This is something I imagine AI will probably never fully feel, experience, and know. This is now, as an adult, a very precious and valuable quality. “In this very moment, this very second, I am quietly celebrating, with much gratitude, my own vulnerability, my mortality.” My whole life, up until two weeks ago, I never broke a bone, nor had stitches. Then, after a rigorous liquid diet/prep for an upcoming colonoscopy, on the day of the procedure, I stepped into the shower. I suddenly felt very exhausted. I gently lowered myself to the floor of the shower stall and sat quietly for a couple of minutes. Feeling ready, with some uncertainty, I stood up. Immediately I blacked out. Quite a new, mysterious experience. Gone. When I came to there was blood everywhere, it seemed. I had fractured my nose, punctured it as well, deeply cut my left pointer finger, banged my chin, right elbow, and a rib curving into my back. Doing what I could to slow the bleeding, my partner actually drove me to the colonoscopy office. Needless to say the kind doctor said we can’t do this procedure today, you need to get to the ER in a nearby hospital. Most importantly for me the doctor gently placed a hand on my shoulder and said “this is not your fault”.

So a few hours in the ER, getting an IV for hydration, stitches for my finger, glue on my nose wound, and meeting very thoughtful, caring medical staff, a doctor from Nigeria, a nurse from China, and other wonderful people.

I never, as a child, or an AI, could have been more in awe as I am now, watching the body do its healing miracles. My daily routine as an adult took a two week vacation. I find myself Very grateful in thinking this could have been much worse. Who would have thought such an experience could be So rich in “being in the moment”, reality, downright thusness. 🏮

Our lives are breathful poems just waiting to be honored and praised.

Uplift Poetry

December 30, 2024

Uplift Poetry Round-Up

Catch up on all our latest posts!

In the last year, we’ve welcomed over 600 subscribers to our community, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have you on board! There’s so much to explore at Uplift Poetry - catch up on all the latest in our Uplift Round-Up, including upcoming poetry events, poetry submissions opportunities, new poetry book releases, and writing prompts.

Uplift Poetry

Alternatives To Valium

Jan 12

Poetry. Full Stop.

On the occasion of his 102nd birthday, a hirple through the poetic humour of Mr Ivor Cutler, humorist, teacher, cloud-fancier, opsimath

I go to interview Ivor Cutler at his house. Mr Cutler is a humorist from Glasgow, and a cult figure on the John Peel Show. His comic vignettes are as sad as they are funny. They are very funny.

Alastair McKay ∙ 27 LIKES

Margaret Bennett

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Ah lovely to read this and remember him. I hope we still have such unique talent among us for years to come. A real individual.

Mike Press

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This was brilliant. Thank you. I saw him at the Edinburgh Fringe in the 80s, and still have a strong memory of him.

Lamonica Curator’s Substack

Jan 13

Poetry and Piety

Robert Southey and Lord Byron

Madmen of Art Monday reminds us taking the ‘moral high ground’ may be paving the road to hell.

LaMonica Curator ∙ 2 LIKES

Rogue Art Historian

•

What an incredible exploration of the Byron-Southey rivalry! You've captured the essence of their contrasting ideologies so beautifully. The way you weave their personalities and beliefs into the poem is both insightful and captivating. It really makes you reflect on the complexities of ambition and staying true to oneself amidst external pressures.

3 Red Cabbage Heads - poetry, knitting, and essays of life

Jan 12

Poetry Pals - week 48 - Christmas Poetry

rather late prompts from over Christmas.

Quick house keeping note - if you are here for knitted animals only you can set up what you receive by clicking on the relevant sections only. This post will go into the ‘Poetry’ section. Deselect that section and you won’t get these posts. Visa versa, don’t want art makes, deselect that section. This link takes you through the process

10 LIKES

Margaret Ann Silver

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I really like these. I'm kind of tempted to circle back and try these, even though Christmas is over. I love:

"laying quietly in the bed next to me

oblivious to your image in my poem."

Angela Joy

•

I love the ease with which these words flow on the ‘page’ Tamsin as I read them x

Music Therapy/Music Musings

Jan 5

‘Poetry & Science’

How art informs science, and how science informs art

Hi Friends,

Raymond Leone ∙ 7 LIKES

Poetry Bulletin

December 11, 2024

Poetry Bulletin: December 2024

15+ deadlines, writing experiments, and the 2025 update is on the way

“Our service is needed as writers. Our service is needed as human beings, in every room, in every space. Especially where there is something to risk, or there is an opportunity to be lost, or that courage will really cost you. That’s what’s most needed. I don’t want to write anything that is a consolation. I don’t want to console.”

Emily Stoddard ∙ 25 LIKES

Patrick Paridee Samuel

•

Dec 17

Just wanted to say thanks...I discovered Broken Sleep Books from your spreadsheet and my debut will be published with them this May!

I also work for Vanderbilt University Press where I am the administrator for the Vanderbilt University Literary Prize (https://www.vanderbilt.edu/vuliteraryprize/) Submissions open Jan 1-April 15. Prize package includes publishing contract, $10k, an audio book, and a week residency here in Nashville.

Stephanie Niu is our inaugural winner and her book will be published February 18. Please let me know if you need anything else from my end in order to get on the spreadsheet.

Thanks again,

Patrick Paridee Samuel

VUP Email: Patrick.samuel@vanderbilt.edu

Poetry Today

December 31, 2024

Poems for Your New Year's Eve

"New eyes each year..."

Dear Friends,

Maya C. Popa ∙ 95 LIKES

Lauren Osornio

•

Dec 31

"I'm running into a new year," speaks to me. Every year it feels like I'm going faster and faster and the years are swallowed up in all that running and I sure hope that running is getting me in shape.

Mary Roblyn

•

Dec 31

Maya,

You have no idea how much joy you’ve brought to my life in 2024. I’ve learned so much from you. I feel a great sense of gratitude for CWC and the brilliant writers in the community, both in the poetry and the fiction sections. I’m awed by the visiting authors who’ve contributed to the world-class education you continue to provide.

Thank you for a great 2024. Looking forward to a wonderful 2025. Love you, Maya! 🫶🫶🫶

Atticus Poetry

Jan 3

The Start of a New Chapter

This week’s inspirations are here to spark the stories only you can tell—let’s step into 2025 with magic in our hearts. 🌙

As the first pages of this new year unfold, I can’t help but feel the quiet hum of possibility. A fresh chapter, unwritten and brimming with potential, awaits each of us.

Atticus ∙ 11 LIKES

Poetry Today

Jan 1

How to Enjoy Your Writing Life in 2025

On constructively framing your goals for the year

Dear friends,

Maya C. Popa ∙ 108 LIKES

Erik Lokensgard

•

Jan 1

I like the "feeding the lake" metaphor. All of us readers and writers part of a great watershed.

Inez Garzaniti

•

Jan 4

“All of writing is a huge lake. There are great rivers that feed the lake, like Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky. And then there are mere trickles, like Jean Rhys. All that matters is feeding the lake. I don't matter. The lake matters. You must keep feeding the lake.”

- I needed to hear this. I think one of the thoughts that has been holding me back from submitting has been a fear that placing my work into that greater context would suddenly reveal how small and insignificant these scribblings that I've wrung out and worried over and rubbed my sleeves threadbare trying to polish. They may be trickles but they "feed the lake" and that is what matters.

Poetry Today

December 24, 2024

If It's Darkness We're Having...

Let it be extravagant

Dear Friends,

Maya C. Popa ∙ 125 LIKES

Susan Wilson

•

Dec 24

Thank you Maya for these words to the heart…I will bear the wistfulness ah! in the extravagant dark.

Love you, thankful for you dear sister.

Sheila

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Dec 25

Thank you Maya for so beautifully naming the truth of this season.

Larry Carter Jr

Jan 5

RAW ASS POETRY

#14 Poetry. Under-edited

There was a boy who was made of rubber.. I've always felt disconnected. not a human but a reproduction. my body doesn't always work.

Larry Carter Jr ∙ 15 LIKES

Cindy

•

Jan 5

The inclusion of many thoughts of love and loss are reflected through your deep view of this world. There are so many wrongs in this world yet your ability to see the light through the cracks will let the Love in!

Keeth Ocelot

•

Jan 5

"inevitably broken"

Poetry Today

Jan 2

31 Writing Prompts That Work

...because they draw from the "great lake" of writing

Dear Friends,

Maya C. Popa ∙ 165 LIKES

Laura Pendell

•

Jan 3

Maya

The variety and depth of these prompts is beyond astonishing. I will pick and choose the ones that most resonate for me to start but am grateful to have such a rich river to pan through in the coming month(s).

Thank you for your generosity in getting 2025 off to a powerful start.

Joanne Peluso

•

Jan 2

I've been reading without joining for weeks. These prompts pushed me to become a paying member, finally. Thank you.

Poetry Pals

Jan 10

I want Christmas all year

Bare with me, I have my reasons. A poetry round up...

It’s Friday, how has your week in poetry been?

Nelly Bryce ∙ 19 LIKES

Erin Stinson

•

I hope you’re having a gentle start to the new year, poetry pals. <3

I began my alternate resolutions as a list and immediately went rogue. Would love your feedback as I’d really like to polish this one up.

How To Survive 2025

Stand in more moonbeams. Notice how much light exists in the dark. If you cannot see it, watch the sky as it melts away to reveal the dawn. It always does. Count on it. Drink in the sunrise you waited for, even if you have to skim away foggy layers to get to the good stuff. Rejoice. You have been brought through another inky voyage. And now: rise. Put on stretchier pants so you can leap freely into the day and discover where you are headed. Because today is a worthy venture, even for a Chicken Little. If the dome over your head falls, take heart, it takes with it every shadow too. Open those eyes of yours, let them slurp up every refracted ray of hope. Dance in your labour as one who won’t relent in seeing everything, one day, made bright and new. Become a moonbeam in someone else’s night.

Angela Joy

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I shared mine as note as don’t think I can work out the ‘strikethrough’ feature as a comment:

https://substack.com/@angedisbury/note/c-85391007?r=2qii2&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

Atticus Poetry

Jan 4

The Relationship Goals You’ll Want to Set for 2025 🖤

This year, let love be your compass. Here are the goals to keep your heart in motion.

As we step into 2025, it’s the perfect time to take a moment and think about the relationships that shape us—the love we give, the love we receive, and the love we still have yet to discover. This year isn’t about grand gestures or perfect moments, but about growing, evolving, and nurturing the connections that truly matter. These relationship goals are…

Atticus ∙ 16 LIKES

Emerald Garden

•

Jan 5

Reading this as I stand in front of a mirror.

Hoping to love myself like this.

A. Marie

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I’ve found the ability to sit comfortably in silence with loved ones and with myself to be the most intimate of experiences. And being mindfully present with another in silence connects us in ways no words could ever express. Beautiful post.

Holy Poetry

Jan 11

Heaven Opened

“God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him.” Acts 10: 34-35

Heaven opened for the benediction of Jesus, then the opening widened for any just one from any nation. Anyone can hear, “This is my beloved”. The carpenter’s door built into Zion flew open with the resurrection expanded to an ocean’s horizon. The world spins on the axis of Christ. God celebrated with a smorgasbord everyone can now feast like a genti…

Holy Poetry ∙ 14 LIKES

Claire Orr

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This imagery is so poignant, Frank. We are so lucky to all be at the Lord's Table. Hugs, and thanks, Claire

Irene Holly

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Thank you Frank. I love when you said, “The world spins on the axis of Christ.”

This gives me hope!

Shaw and Moore

December 28, 2024

Inbetween Days - poetry and writing exercises

I love this description of the days between Christmas and New Year. And yes, I’m Clare, and like Anthony Powell, I am working on the next book – in between writing blogs and running workshops. Last night, Kim and I ran our “Inbetween Times” workshop – our “thankyou” to paying subscribers and anyone who wanted a bit of company (plus at least one person w…

Kim Moore and Clare Shaw ∙ 10 LIKES

Maggie Reed

•

Dec 28

Fog is as fickle as soup

murky, spicy, nourishing.

Moon is as pearly as night-dew

lit in the depths of darkness,

she hangs in the daytime

like a communion wafer

waiting to be consummed

Susan Butler

•

Dec 29

Was enjoying a daydream in a traffic jam yesterday at this time - and already over the dead days and energised to get going with the next things. But loved this poem and this prompt - gave me a new way to approach my own poem task for my poets group which I was beginning to regret. Thankyou and happy new year.

Footnotes from the Flipside

Jan 9

Creative Fun with Friends

Poetry Collaboration

I love having an excuse to write something different and outside of my usual wheelhouse. I also love a good challenge. Recently a good friend who is also a writer and blogger suggested we try a new kind of writing collaboration. Jan Stoneburner, who writes “That’s Good to Know”, a lighthearted blog about finding humor in aging, is a former high school a…

Cathey Cone ∙ 29 LIKES

Mary Richards

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This was amazing! I’ve always loved both of your writings, you both are different in your writings, but look how well you come together! But friends do that, don’t they, when they respect each other and each others talent. And you are also had fun creating your poem!! Blessings to both!