Belated Friday's Poetry Tips: What If?

This week I want you to try writing a poem that encompasses some version of “What if?” You could create a poem that starts out by asking the question or write a different version of a poem you already have to see how it turns out. What if you tried a different ending to an existing fairy tale for a poem? What if your life ended sooner rather than later? What if you live much longer than you anticipate, what might you see in the future? The possibilities are endless, good luck to those of you who try it out!

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Poetry Magazine Open Submissions

Now you can submit poems on-line to Poetry magazine and they have it set up so you can keep track of your submissions. Poetry has always had the credo of accepting any kind of poetry in hopes of the discovery of something revolutionary and/or spectacular. Just be sure that any poems you submit are previously unpublished, you may send 4 poems or less, and if any of your poems are accepted they pay $10.00 per line with a minimum payment of $300.00 per poem or $150.00 per page of prose. Good luck and please click the link below to see the full guidelines and to submit on-line.

http://poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/submissions.html

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Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://juked.com/2008/10/pharmacy.asp
“Pharmacy” by Jay Snodgrass

http://gutcult.com/Site/litjourn10/jon_woodward.htm
“Heavenly” by Jon Woodward

Thanks for clicking in, please stop by tomorrow for more Open Submissions…

Poetry's November Issue

This month I was lucky enough that the majority of the poems I marked are also available on-line at the Poetry Magazine web-site. Here are a couple of my favorites:

http://poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=182387
On Wanting to Tell [ ] about a Girl Eating Fish Eyes by Mary Szybist caught my attention because the title alone is unusual. So is the poem, which I thought would send shivers of disgust down my spine but left me with a small smile instead. It describes the loss of a loved one and the wistfulness of a sentimental moment. “You died just hours ago./Not suddenly, no. You’d been dying so long/nothing looked like itself:” While I don’t know which parent specifically passed, the parent is honored by the voice in the poem who is watching her own daughter. “I refill the glasses/and we raise a toast to you/as so and so’s daughter…” Then there is the sentimental yet strange (to me) moment of “slides into another lap/to eat another pair of slippery eyes/with her soft fingers, fingers rosier each time,” While the youngest daughter/granddaughter is eating fish eyes her parent wishes for the return of her own mother or father: “If only I could go to you, revive you./You must be a little alive still.” I love that line of “a little alive still” because most of us still feel our loved one’s presence long after they pass. You think of something they would have laughed at and realize you can’t call them up and tell them, you can’t show them a video or pictures of the event because they have passed. For those who believe in heaven, there is comfort in their being alive in spirit, perhaps looking down upon you. In the poem, the youngest daughter delights in eating fish eyes “She is placing one on her tongue,/bright as a polished coin—“ and when asked what they taste like the child simply replies “They taste like eyes.” This is how the poem ends, with a very simple remark from the child while her mother watches in wonder while thinking of how her own parent who has passed on would marvel at this child, also. It’s a strange and beautiful poem that I have trouble explaining but wanted to share with you nonetheless.

The next poem is Murray Dreaming by Stephan Edgar which can also be read by clicking:
http://poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=182395
A trip to the aquarium brings about wonder and stillness in a boy named Murray as he watches the stillness of the cod amidst all the activity going on at the aquarium whether it be people passing through or sharks swimming in their tank. Stephen Edgar describes Murray taking in all that he sees: “Out in the day/Again, he saw the famous streets expound/Their theories about speed, the cars obey,/Racing to catch the sun….and thought it odd/That in the multitudes not everyone/Should understand as he did the profound/Profession of the cod,/That held time, motionless, unknown to sound.” The words “Profession of the cod” is a wonderful line because it is so unexpected a revelation that cod might have work to do, even if it is to remain still amidst everything else. Murray dreams at night of the fish remaining still while above in the daylight everything zips along. I really enjoy the perspective of the child which brings about the wonder that many of us as adults forget.

Also very interesting in this issue is the section on Visual Poetry which you can read more about by clicking here and seeing/reading for yourself:
http://poetryfoundation.org/journal/feature.html?id=182397

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Mitzvah Chaps

Check out this publishing blog full of interesting chapbooks that you can also find on the Press Press Press blog. Based out of Lawrence, Kansas, you can find out about poetic events to attend and you can buy the chapbooks on-line thanks to their handy-dandy Pay Pal buttons. Click below to find out more:

http://mitzvahchaps.blogspot.com/

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Poetry Tips: Happy Halloween

Instead of trying to write poems, I dare you to read some. Find all the poets you know who write about spooky events, ghosts, etc. such as Poe and Dickinson and see if you can sneak in lines while you’re out at Halloween parties or trick-or-treating with the kids. Give yourself 5 points every time someone recognizes who you are quoting and see how many points you can win yourself at the end of Halloween night. Think classic words or lines such as “Nevermore” or “Because I could not stop for death…”

Have a Happy Halloween and see you Monday after you’ve recovered from your sugary hang-overs…

Nerve Cowboy Chapbook Open Submissions

If you haven’t read Nerve Cowboy then please be sure to check out their site and read some sample poems. If you have a batch of straight-talking, sharp-shooting poems then this is the place to submit your chapbook. Submit 24-40 pages of poetry with an Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope to:
Nerve Cowboy Chapbook Contest
PO Box 4973
Austin, TX 78765

Check it out at:
http://www.jwhagins.com/ChapContest.html

Thanks for dropping in, please stop by tomorrow for more Poetry Tips…

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://www.versedaily.org/2008/chinesebox.shtml
“Chinese Box” by Carmen Germaine

http://www.trout.auckland.ac.nz/journal/15/15_2.html
“Among the Freuds” by Diana Bridge


PS: Jim Murdoch has a wonderful two part interview with Claire Askew and here are the links below:
http://jim-murdoch.blogspot.com/2008/10/and-interview-with-claire-askew-part.html
http://jim-murdoch.blogspot.com/2008/10/interview-with-claire-askew-part-two.html
Claire explains her reasoning behind creating One Night Stanzas, how she grew as a poet, and so on. It’s very educational and entertaining so please take a look!

Thanks for clicking in, please stop by tomorrow for more Open Submissions…

Christopher Cunningham's In Gambler's Blood

Christopher Cunningham’s chapbook, In Gambler’s Blood is available from Kendra Steiner Editions and is about the different perspectives of the gamblers at the gambling table. Think of it as a story unfolding through the eyes of the characters that brings to light their backgrounds as well as their emotions brimming through every turn of the card.

There are two poems I particularly enjoyed in the collection and the first one is:

the calculation of risk

the one with the difficult job
watches the cards as they slip from the
dealer’s fingers onto the dark burgundy felt.

four of diamonds
ace of diamonds
eight of spades.

he sees the gambler on his right move a stack of chips
in his direction. he takes a breath, very shallow.
he looks at the dealer.
he thinks about
the different kinds of luck
a man can have.

and not have.

the air is heavy with rent money and pain.
he reaches down and lifts the corners
of his cards
with rough fingers
to make sure his ace and his eight are still there.

he counts the chips in the pot.
there are two cards to come.
he calls.

sometimes,
life moves strangely.

he scratches his face and looks out over the
edge of his world
into the unknown.

My favorite line is “the air is heavy with rent money and pain” because it places the emphasis on what’s at stake to lose and win. It also indicates the place where the gambler is coming from, his need for the money, the pain that comes with addiction in needing to play. You can also find yourself holding your breath waiting for the outcome just as the player is deciding his move. The ending leaves you hanging in suspense which furthers your desire to read the other poems hoping the answer will be found.


The second poem I enjoyed immensely is:

a matter of reward

the one with the family doesn’t like
what he sees.
he rolls the gold band around his finger
with his thumb while he thinks.

at home his wife
is putting the kids
to bed. the television is on
but the sound is down.
she turns out the light
on the children
and has a glass of wine
in the silence.
her mind is quiet.

the gold is cold under his thumb.

he looks at the four again.
the one with the difficult job
is sitting very still,
staring at a spot
atmospherically removed from the game.

when does a man
ever truly know
anything
for certain?

he pitches his cards in the muck
along with the money
that will not be his.


This poem not only encompasses the player but also his family and their activities while he is playing cards. The line “her mind is quiet” piques my interest because I cannot imagine a woman whose mind is quiet if her husband is out gambling and she knows it. However, she may not know what he’s up to and that could be why her mind is quiet. Chris, when you read this review, would you be so kind as to which is it?
Also, when the player is lined up with the stanza “when does a man/every truly know/anything/for certain” it makes a great setup for the letdown. It’s as if the player lost confidence and threw his cards and money into the fray regardless, recklessly. Again, this brings me back to the wife whose “mind is quiet.” What do you make of all that?

Please visit the Kendra Steiner Edition site and please note there is a 3 for $10.00 special for purchases which is well worth your while. Also, with the purchase of Cunningham’s book comes a special surprise inside hand-made by Mr. Cunningham himself that represents the entirety of the chapbook.
You can also visit Christopher Cunningham’s wonderful blog at the link below:
http://savageheavens.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading, please stop in tomorrow for more Poems Found by Poet Hound…

Catapult to Mars

Check out this interesting blog written in several languages by Gordon Mason who has the same goal as most of us: Increasing readership of poetry (hence writing in several languages such as English, Scots, and Spanish). Poems galore from around the world, please check it out at:

http://www.catapulttomars.blogspot.com/

Thanks for dropping in, please stop by tomorrow for another featured poet…

Poetry Tips: Magnetic Poetry

Remember when magnetic poetry was all the rage? Well, this is a slight twist on the idea. I have friends and family who have all kinds of assorted magnets with clever or funny sayings on them, or advertisements for places they enjoy going to. See if you can make a poem using only words found on those refrigerator magnets. You may end up with a very strange or very clever poem but it will be sure to bring a smile to your face.
Good luck to those who try it!

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Erbacce Open Submissions

Richard at Gloom Cupboard forwarded this e-mail flyer to me so I am sharing it with all of you:
great erbacce-press 2009 Poetry Competition

...erbacce press, the unique writers co-operative, are proud to announce full details of
a poetry competition with THE most fantastic prize which will be:

1) A writing contract with erbacce-press paying exceptionally generous royalties
2) Publication of a full length, perfect bound, collection of the winning poet's work
3) 20 free copies of the publication sent to the winner post-free
4) A dedicated sales-page featuring the winning poet

We'll be looking for an initial submission of ten pages of poetry sent as a single MS attachment plus a commitment
to have enough poetry to fill at least a 100 page collection (but up to 150 pages)... we'll be looking for poetry that is
innovative and radical in form and/or content.

Judges will be Alan Corkish and Andrew Taylor plus other eminent writers to be announced.

Entry is FREE to anyone, anywhere in the world
We'll also be awarding a runners-up prize of a spot as the featured poet in an edition of the poetry journal erbacce

Send your MS attachment to BOTH of these emails: erbacce@blueyonder.co.uk and erbacce@hotmail.com
and you must include in the MS Document a declaration that the work is your own plus a snail-mail address.
IF YOU DON'T SEND TO BOTH EMAILS AND INCLUDE THIS DECLARATION AND A SNAIL-MAIL ADDRESS YOUR ENTRY WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

The competition will run until mid 2009 and the winner will be notified then full publication will
commence with the winning book being published prior to Christmas 2009

GET WRITING! THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A FREE COMPETITION LIKE THIS!
PLEASE DO ALSO PASS THIS EMAIL ON TO OTHER POETS!


Good Luck to all those who submit, thanks for dropping in! Please stop by tomorrow for more Poetry Tips….

Poems Found by Poet Hound

http://english.chass.ncsu.edu/freeverse/Archives/Spring_2008/poems/A_Fitzgerald.html
Anne Fitzgerald’s “Tuscany”

http://www.mascarapoetry.com/issue3/vivienne_glance.htm
Vivienne Glance’s “Spectrum”

Thanks for clicking in, please stop by tomorrow for more Open Submissions…

October's Poetry Magazine

This time the poems I liked best weren’t selected to be links on the Poetry magazine site but the contents of the magazine were wonderful all around and I urge you to check out the site, read what is linked, and listen to the podcast.

In the meantime, I’ll mention a couple of poems I enjoyed immensely in case you happen to stumble upon a copy if you don’t already have one:

The first poem that really grabbed my eye is titled “Uncouplings” by Craig Arnold. He uses quite a bit of clever wordplay and while we all know “there is no I in teamwork” he also adds “but there is a two maker.” I really like what he comes up with for each word or phrase and they all flow together despite being seemingly unrelated. “the I in relationship/is the heart I slip on/a lithe prison,” and the lines “our listening skills/ are silent killings.” These are much more clever the more you take the time to read them. He turns trite phrases into insightful musings which is a skill I admire. I hope you are able to find it as amusing as I did.

The second poem is “Sad and Alone” by Maurice Manning. He starts out by addressing the reader that the idea of reminiscing is nothing new, but his memories are laid out so beautifully as he travels down memory lane and then brings us back to his present. “…I remember the time I laid/my homemade banjo in the fire/and let it burn. There was nothing else/to burn and the house was cold;…” he goes on to say “I could hear the raindrops plopping up/the buckets and kettles, scattered out/like little ponds around the room.” He describes the sound as music which he will never forget and always love. He explains that “I loved the helpless people I loved./That’s what a little boy will do,/but a grown man will turn it all/to sadness and let it soak his heart…” Those lines would have made a great ending but he proceeds a little further and turns the lines in another direction which also make it a fantastic ending. He brings you back to his beginning and brings about an emotion you nearly forgot about in the course of this relatively short poem. If you get a chance to read it I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.


Thanks always for reading, you may visit the current issue and read or listen by clicking on the link below.
http://www.poetrymagazine.org/

Please stop by tomorrow for more Poems Found by Poet Hound…

Graying Ghost Press

Not only do they have the Corduroy Mountain Journal as mentioned on Thursday’s Open Submissions, they also publish books which can be found at Press Press Press in addition to their web-site. Check them out at the link below:

http://www.airforcejoyride.com/gg

Thanks for visiting, please stop by tomorrow for another featured poet…