Tag: poem

New published poem, ‘Publish or Perish — A Prayer’

My poem (or maybe “doggerel” is the more fitting description), “Publish or Perish — A Prayer,” was published today in Witcraft, which is a literary magazine focused on humor and the lighter side (tagline: “Because not everything has to be serious”). Give it a read and let me know what you think.

Thirteen Ways of Hearing a Cicada (a poem)

With apologies to Wallace Stevens.

Thirteen Ways of Hearing a Cicada

A rare dual brood emergence of cicadas is happening this spring, and it will not happen for another 221 years, according to entomologists. These insects can create sounds that often hit 90-100 decibels, which is louder than a hair dryer.

“The Year of the Periodical Cicadas,” The National Institute of Food and Agriculture, United States Department of Agriculture, March 26, 2024

I

The first parties emerge

Like scouts, inspecting the land.

You hear a whir, a hiss, the sound

Of one winding a mechanical clock

Or a music box.

A small intrusion

Into the noises of mid-spring:

the chirping robins, yodeling cardinals,

hammering woodpeckers.

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