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In Praise of Gray by Jay Rubin (published in The Summerset Review , Summer 2011 ) Gray hair is a crown of splendor —Proverbs 16:31 O how I wish that my wife, just once would not slip through that bathroom door to dye her hair that ungodly brown O how I wish that my wife, just once would let her fallacious hair rinse clear allowing her argent age to shine If only she would, I'd gather each strand some threads white as winter rain others dark as clear champagne O how I'd rej

Forgive My Dearth of Quietude by Praise Osawaru (published in Feral , Issue 3, August 2020) Instead of dreaming, I translate my whirling worries into a standstill; eyes closed, body tendering silence. The night registers my intermittent awakening, on days when my mind depletes quietude. Creaking fan, wintry chill, spilling moonlight; they conduct a fellowship in my room. Pardon me if I mistake the scratching in my wall for the feasting of monsters, or the meowing at ni

Purgatory by Carolyn Martin (published in The Opiate , August 2016) can’t be much worse than this: sitting in the second row while the poet– featured tonight for reasons only the emcee knows–fumbles through a notebook for the next offering he’ll serve up in a voice that hovers somewhere between pseudo-humility and arrogance as he alludes to obscure Italian history and no one has a clue so I’m free to tune out everything but my mind conversing with itself about a metaphor t

On Virtue by Phillis Wheatley O thou bright jewel in my aim I strive To comprehend thee. Thine own words declare Wisdom is higher than a fool can reach. I cease to wonder, and no more attempt Thine height t’explore, or fathom thy profound. But, O my soul, sink not into despair, Virtue is near thee, and with gentle hand Would now embrace thee, hovers o’er thine head. Fain would the heaven-born soul with her converse, Then seek, then court her for her promised bliss. Auspicio

Our Idea of Nothing at All by Alice Duer Miller “I am opposed to woman suffrage, but I am not opposed to woman.”—from an anti- suffrage speech by Mr. Webb of North Carolina O women, have you heard the news Of charity and grace? Look, look, how joy and gratitude Are beaming in my face! For Mr. Webb is not opposed To woman in her place! O Mr. Webb, how kind you are To let us live at all, To let us light the kitchen range And tidy up the hall; To tolerate the female sex I

The Gift by Ed Ochester (from A Geography of Poets , edited by Edward Field, Bantam Poetry, 1979) One day as I was lying on the lawn dreaming of the Beautiful and my wife was justifiably bitching out the window at my shiftlessness and the baby was screaming because I wouldn't let him eat my cigarettes, a tiger cat leaped over the fence, smiled at my wife, let the baby pull his tail, hummed like a furry dynamo as I stroked him. My wife took the car to get him some food, my

Crossroads by Joyce Sutphen (published in her book, Straight Out of View , 1996 by Holy Cow! Press) The second half of my life will be black to the white rind of the old and fading moon. The second half of my life will be water over the cracked floor of these desert years. I will land on my feet this time, knowing at least two languages and who my friends are. I will dress for the occasion, and my hair shall be whatever color I please. Everyone will go on celebrating the o

Diary of a Carpenter Wasp by Gary L. McDowell (from his chapbook, They Speak of Fruit, published in 2009 by Cooper Dillon) I sing the...

The Revenant by Billy Collins (hear the poet read this and another of his dog persona poems here) I am the dog you put to sleep, as you...

Beauty and the Beast: An Anniversary by Jane Yolen (from her book, The Faery Flag, 1989) It is winter now, and the roses are blooming...

Learning a Foreign Language by Matt Muth published in RHINO, 2016 I needed to associate like with like, object with suggestion. I needed...

Xarpo: A Sontina by Mary Christine Delea Xarpo was the Greek goddess of autumn and the harvest Just one of the Horai, seasoned like Auxo...

Buddhist Barbie by Denise Duhamel (published in her book, Kinky, Orchises Press, 1997) In the 5th century B.C. an Indian philosopher...

Villanelle for a Lesbian Mom by Robin Becker published in Harvard Magazine by Harvard Press https://harvardmagazine.com/sites/default/fil...

Mad Girl’s Love Song by Sylvia Plath I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; I lift my lids and all is born again. (I think I made...

A New Poet by Linda Pastan (published in Poetry 180, edited by Billy Collins, and here) Finding a new poet is like finding a new...

For Her Villain by Grace Bauer (published in the anthology, Villanelles, edited by Annie Finch and Marie-Elizabeth Mali, 2012) The time...

Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of...

The Grammar Lesson by Steve Kowit (Poetry 180, Library of Congress website) A noun's a thing. A verb's the thing it does. An adjective is...

Recuerdo by Edna St.Vincent Millay We were very tired, we were very merry— We had gone back and forth all night on the ferry. It was bare...