Poetic Saturdays: Until Further Notice

Welcome to my first post for Poetic Saturdays! As some of you may know, I write poetry, maintain a popular poetry blog named Poetic Asides, and edit a directory of poetry publishing opportunities called Poet's Market. So it's only natural that I'd like to share my love of poetry on here too, and I think the best way to do so is on Saturdays--when folks have time to slow down and breathe in the world around them.

The basic structure of these posts will probably evolve over time, but right now I'm leaning toward sharing an original poem by myself, reviewing a book or two, and sharing links to poems I like from across the Internet. Eventually, I might work in a Q&A or two with other poets.

until further notice, by Robert Lee Brewer

there are only two socks in my dresser
that don't match. november was worse than this
thing called winter. i'm searching for nothing
specific. you can't tell me anything
that will ruin the night. the evening
has a nickname. i don't match the lesser
of two evils. my hands walk the picket
line for puppets. this pen is mightier
than the keyboard. i'm not sure how to feel
about things i can see and those i can't.

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Newer Book:

Paper House, by Jessie Carty

Paper House
by Jessie Carty (Folded Word)

For a paper house to stand, nearly everything needs to be just right. Such is the case with Carty's Paper House. What I love about the poems in this collection is that they never seem to take the easy way out, and Carty never appears to pull her punches, whether she's addressing baptism or cleavage. At the same time, she never goes too far, and it's this firm restraint in her poetry that really appeals to me.

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Poems Found Online:

• The Arc of Field Stones, by Brandon Courtney from Boxcar Poetry Review
• First Station, by Alice Bolin from Linebreak
• Swaybacked, by Judith Skillman from The Pedestal Magazine
• Apparition Poems, by Adam Fieled from Otoliths
• 5 Poems, by Ray Gonzalez from Diode

*****

Older Book:

Kill the Messenger, by Robert Kelly

Kill the Messenger
by Robert Kelly (Black Sparrow Press)

I read this book before I knew that Robert Kelly invented the lune. In fact, this is one of those books I found at a used book store and bought based off the random lines I read and loved. Kill the Messenger takes the reader on a journey of language, structure and inventiveness. Plus, it contains lines like, "Subways led to her, so he loved cities," and, "A vulture prances on a skull,/ tourists pass, their simple hearts/ greedy for experiences."

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Note: Links in this post to books are affiliate links. However, I do not mention these books just to make a profit. They are either books I'm connected to (in the case of Poet's Market) or ones I truly love (in the case of Carty and Kelly). All other links in this post are not affiliate links.

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Check out previous Not Bob posts:

• How Images Improve Blog Traffic.
• Finding and Longing for Community.
• I Began as Eyelashes Blocking the Sun.