Category Archives: Poetry

New poem: Trail of Tears

Sliding in at the last minute again with an assignment poem written for tonight’s St. Lawrence Area Poets (SLAP) meeting. The topical assignment for the month: write about cold.   Trail of Tears The snow, fine and thick as smoke, … Continue reading

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Night Conference: two revisions

In the original draft of Night Conference (previous post) I used the device of casting the poem in the second person. I was dealing with an inside-the-head moment–a situation where, as a writer, I frequently go off the rails. By … Continue reading

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New poem: Night Conference

SLAP (St. Lawrence Area Poets) monthly meeting in a few minutes. So once again my inspiration is peer pressure. Can’t show up empty-handed. This comes from my rare solo forays away from the North Country, usually to attend a conference … Continue reading

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Assignment: a poem about the “cloud”

I wrote this yesterday as well, in order to be able to show my face at the St. Lawrence Area Poets (SLAP) meeting with a completed assignment. The assignment comes from the newest computer buzz-word, “the cloud” indicating a non-specific … Continue reading

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New poem: Question Period

I wrote this yesterday afternoon after being driven from my office by multiple cement drills boring into the wall to anchor a new layer of brick. Sure was more peaceful out back. —DH Question Period On the grass around the … Continue reading

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New poem: Just Before the Fall

Just Before the Fall Once this side of the field was cleared of sumac all the way back to the wall, the sprawling japonica was beaten back to where the mower could keep it in check. Dead limbs were lopped, … Continue reading

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New poem: How it Slipped Away

In my dream a slender young woman with short black hair and large dark eyes, wearing a loose black caftan with flowers picked out upon it in embroidery floss– green, blue, purple, yellow and red– perched upon the railway ticket … Continue reading

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Revising Men at the Library

I was quite pleased with “Men at the Library” when I first posted it, hot from my fevered brow. But I soon realized that I had made a simple mistake in strategy that weakened the poem. Repeatedly, I talked about … Continue reading

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New poem: Men at the Library

Men at the Library The youngest men at the library make war with unknown adversaries all across the planet. Behind cubicle walls they flex the iron thews of their imaginations, making mutton of all comers. The next cadre came a-jog … Continue reading

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How-to

I’ve been taking a little time off from work, which would seem like it should be a good time for writing some poetry. Strangely not. Our St. Lawrence Area Poets group had its monthly meeting last night and I had … Continue reading

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