National Poetry Month
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National Poetry Month Day 22: “The Great Loves of Our Lives” by Julie Enszer
The Great Loves of Our Lives Begin with the body desire manifests itself in the body: the flutter of the heart the nervous shake of a hand the dilation of the pupils hardening of nipples thickening of mucus within the…
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National Poetry Month Day 21: “War With Computers” by Jill McDonough
War with Computers “We don’t make war with computers.” —Captain Kirk in Star Trek, “A Taste of Armageddon,” 1966 Now we hover at 5000 feet. It’s not a fair fight, but IEDs aren’t fair, either. We watch day and night.…
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National Poetry Month Day 20: “Google Search: ‘Julie Marie Wade’” by Julie Marie Wade
Google Search: “Julie Marie Wade” I am dead in Mississippi— dead & Catholic. A cheerleading coach who passed suddenly on Wednesday night from “causes unknown.” In Oxford, they mourn with a funeral mass, send flowers to the family that survives…
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National Poetry Month Day 19: “Astronomy of Fishes & Emily Dickinson (1986)” by Adrian Matejka
Astronomy of Fishes & Emily Dickinson (1986) One eye squeezed like a bag phone between shoulder & ear. Another eye stuck in a paper towel tube like it’s a telescope & the whole country sky is as recyclable & sparse…
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National Poetry Month Day 18: “My Brother” by Carmen Gimenez Smith
My Brother My brother _is__ a savior who can torpedo through privilege with an artistic stun gun he’s a tempest saturating the city He makes a scar in the earth_ draws out an admixture of folklore and animus_ plus a…
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It Ends With Eating a Strawberry
It might be snowing outside, but April is still National Poetry Month, and Tin House has a wonderful interview up with poet Ellen Bass. Read about her writing routine, the Miss America Pageant, expectations, and what it was like to study with Anne…
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National Poetry Month Day 17: “The Mother In This Poem Is Me or You or Your Mother” by Wendy Chin-Tanner
The Mother In This Poem Is Me or You or Your Mother mother is a falling star a bead of sweat of blood of bread our daily bread on which we fed the thread of life the trouble and strife…
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National Poetry Month Day 16: “The electric body” by Matthew Siegel
The electric body changes like a sky bleeding peach, gray feathers and smoke – – a body…
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National Poetry Month Day 15: “Exercises in Breathing” by Kimberly Southwick
exercises in breathing I. knowing the rules is not enough. when it snows, it doesn’t always mean it. when it snows, sometimes it snows for the museums and sometimes it snows for the papers and sometimes it snows for only…
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National Poetry Month Day 14: “The Vindication of Judas” by Daniel W.K. Lee
The Vindication of Judas Forgive me at last, Brother, for the death sentence: a kiss that revealed me, an act of obedience which began your martyrdom. Who else but you—who loves me still—could I ask to bear blame for my…
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National Poetry Month Day 13: “Today” by Gina Myers
Today Each year I know less about myself but the insurance company knows how much my life is worth. This is for those who suffer & endure & laugh about it later. Someone asked, “where do you get your news…
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Rumpus Contributor Kima Jones on NPR’s Code Switch
When NPR’s Code Switch went searching for “young poets who were livening up the literary landscape” in honor of National Poetry Month, they found themselves in the world of Rumpus contributor Kima Jones. Code Switch and Ms. Jones set out…