Jeanette Gallagher writes love poems (O, April; Questions for My Husband’s Doctor) but they’re never exactly what we expect. Each one contains its own little wrinkle that sets it apart. This is her Mother’s Day offering. In Jeanette’s own words: “This poem is dedicated to my daughter-in-law, Jean, in honor of her mother, whom she recently […]

Jasper Ballard’s poetry has appeared here before (Second Chance, Move On,Childhood Lost), and, as you know, Childhood Lost also was part of Vwa: Voices for Haiti, edited by Lisa Marie Basile. Jasper is getting ready for a summer mission trip to Haiti. Imagine what stories he’ll bring back for his students in September! She Thinks By Jasper […]

Bettie Coffin has a habit of delighting us with delicious little tidbits of poetry (Tears of Joy, Silence, Choices). While this poem is longer than her previous work here, it is no less delightful as we read the story it tells.  Reuniting By Bettie Coffin When we first met your pain was great. I offered a comforting […]

Marya Zilberberg writes in Massachusetts. This is how she describes herself: “By day I am a health services researcher, but by night (OK, sometimes by day too) I dabble in writing.” You can read more of her writing at her blog. Here, Marya builds her poem around the ironic central phrase “killing time.” The language displays […]

Robert CJ Graves is a master of imagery. His poems bathe us in it (Green House, Queen Learjet, The God of Apathy, Look for Jack Buddha, No Swimming). He and his wife Emily will be moving from Kansas to Georgia to take on new jobs as professors at Paine College. Journeys are metaphors in themselves; let’s see what this […]