Paper Boat
A poem about the experience of publishing, or, in the alternative, letting go, of something or someone you helped to make.
writing
Nominalization
A petty poetic diatribe on the ubiquitous practice of nominalization, that is, making verbs into nouns.
Immortality
A poem about things we would love to live on without us, and achieve immortality.
Florid: In Defense of Flowery Language
This essay defends the practice of putting abundant description or flowery language in fiction, and decries the modern tendency to issue rules that result in paring down our writing to within an inch of its life.
The Novelist
This poem describes a novelist and explains why we should find him suspicious.
Office Job
This far from serious poem describes one of the most delightful of office jobs: writing verse.
New Years Post 2024–My Year
This is a catalog of writerly events and accomplishments I can call my own for the year 2023.
The Passive Void
This humorous poem suggests we beware the dangerous void created by writing in the passive voice.
Imprecise
This poem laments the mess of a disorganized house and compares it to a writer's first draft.
Poetry Reading
This poem examines the poet's work, alone and in concert, and how it benefits others, who may not necessarily appreciate the help.
Treatment
This poem describes the way writing is handled these days, and recommends a gentler treatment.
Generations
A poem describing how we pay our debts to the generation that precedes us and to those who come after.
A Literary Citizen
This blogpost talks about the many aspects of literary citizenship, or ways to support writers near you.
Unpalatable
This poem sets forth the dismay of a poet who writes in rhyme, in an age when few appreciate it.
Until Dawn
This poem is both a devotion to my mother and a lament as to the fate of the countless undiscovered or passed over, but worthy writers like her. By Andrea LeDew.
Noise
This poem records the conflicted emotions of anyone who attempts to work at home in the midst of family and noise. By Andrea LeDew.
The Price
This poem is pretty simple and self-explanatory, but all the while it asks deep questions we all struggle to answer. Perhaps the poetic side of our nature is there for a reason. Thanks for coming by to read! What are the number of leagues Between our views, Do you suppose? Only a poet Only a …
The Weight of Words
In my recent readings, I came across an image showing Vainglory and Pride as two separate depictions, two separate entities. (Image before the last chapter, depicting a mural in a 13th century tower in Siena, Italy, in The Square and the Tower, by Niall Ferguson.) I always thought of the two as being the same …
The Jealous Type
This poem reviews the deadly sin of Jealousy, and asks whether we can help being the envious beings we are. I notice this failing in myself, particularly with respect to writing and body-type, and I find it very hard to rise above. I believe my own jealousy is a side effect of, on the one …
Less Precious
This is another poem on writing. I recently read a comment on a Facebook group by Patrick Gallagher. He essentially said to “get less precious about your writing, because the magic comes, when you don’t have any choice in the matter.” Using routines and other tortures to ensure regular writing is something most of …
The Writer
I wrote this poem about the eternal conflict between a writer’s desire to live life fully, and his entrapment, in the habits that make him successful. My wish is, that each of you, who seek to write, strike a happy balance in your own lives. It should never be either/or. Thanks for coming by …
Confidence
Hope this poem encourages you in your travels through life. I find that especially in the pursuit of writing, as a vocation or avocation (or vacation), everyone needs to hear that they are worthy and learn to believe in themselves. I guess this is a bit of a fake-it-till-you-make-it poem. But half of happiness is …
Her
Fair Warning: This tongue -in-cheek poem is written in a made-up backwoods Southern dialect that breaks all grammar conventions. And my intro is much longer than the poem itself, so feel free to skip the sermon and go right to the rather silly poem in bold print. A Word on Cancel Culture I know …
Ballast
This poem laments the modern malady of too much stuff. Too many distractions, standing in the way of achieving one’s purpose. We all need to cast off a little ballast, in order to soar higher. We love to be pleased and entertained. But there comes a time in life, when we realize, just how …