Carol Potter, established in her reputation and talent, shares with us two poems that pursue associative motion with such comfortable grace. “Are You Going to Eat That?” may be the first mouth memoir told in a single stanza, and “What…
Nat Myer’s “red shoulderblades” begins with a motorcycle crash and ends in an image of friendship not often seen in popular culture. Filled with bloody cotton swabs, opioids, and alcohol, this hard-edged little poem relaxes in the dare to violence,…
Rachel Bower’s “Light” takes residence in the calm back of the throat between breaths. From her choices around line break and caesura, to the unforgettable image of the “dawn-woman”—who of us is without a dawn-woman inside?—Bower crafts a poem for…
New month, new courage: submit yourself to these fellowships, magazines, awards and internships. & as always, submit poetry for free to our New Voices. Phillip Roth Residence Emerging poets working on your first/second book: Bucknell University wants to give…
In this double hinged sonnet, Jeff Pearson balances the demands of form with the rebellious and sensitive subject of mental illlness. “the gods of discharge dates” is generous and humorous and terse and just a little sad—we all want to…
After Tyehimba Jess selected his top three, we knew there would be a couple poems that we’d need to share regardless—we had too many good finalists. These two poems, “the neighbor’s house” and “UNDONE”, by Benjamin Hertwig and Brionne Janae,…
When we envision emerging poets to support, Kara Jackson is it—”Love poem with a knife” was selected by guest judge Tyehimba Jess as second place and winner of the $300 prize. The power of language is so comfortably displayed in…
These two poems make secrets feel familiar. Stacy Boe Miller archives moments here, in “Hollow” and “Boil Down”—small, intimate moments of childhood, of death and love and the body, knocking together like pearls on a string you’d wear to a…
Selected by Tyehimba Jess as the second runner up for the Award for New Poets, Matty Layne Glasgow’s poem playfully bristles between fragility and loving violence. Simple in conceit, complex in execution, “deciduous qween, IV” is a treat for lovers,…
Welcome 2018 with that new year’s courage: submit yourself to these fellowships, magazines, awards and internships. & as always, submit poetry for free to our New Voices. The Button Poetry / Exploding Pinecone Press 2017 Chapbook Contest This chapbook…
