I was graced to have three poems appear in @ColumbiaJournal yesterday but made the mistake of posting them as a link. So here's a screenshot of one w a link in the comments. #poetry #sonnet #triolet

Overall, I preferred her book The Niagara River (which immediately made Kay Ryan a favorite poet; I was keen on nearly every poem) to Erratic Facts. But who’s complaining when you’ve got gems to hold to the light? #poetry

From Rhina P. Espaillat’s The Field #poetry

Accurate. From my inbox today:

The fog made this photo quite soft, leading to a painterly quality, but I like its Fall vibes.

*whirl

Many, though not all, of the instances where early greats appeared to transgress this rule seem to be nudges toward a spondaic delivery—something that isn’t even an option in the way many contemporary lines are written (e.g., the dissenting foot on offer is a trochaic noun).

My ear would be so pleased if more contemporary poets heeded Annie Finch’s observation in A Poet’s Craft when giving iambics a whir.

This month I drafted one of those poems that just insists on obsessive explorations before resting. A small poem—yet so far I have about 20 pages of drafts/ line versions/ metrical questions. In the process, a few drafts came together nicely, but then I’d be back at it.

Does anyone ever spontaneously sing to their poems? Don’t be so awkward! No, don’t be awkward now— Please! Bonus points if you’ve directed such a ditty at your own person ;)! P.S.— YES, I was WRITing IN triple MEter.

#poetry

Lisel Mueller #poetry

#poetry Lisel Mueller in The New Yorker

This is Dingo. He gets very anxious if he doesn't have a lap to sit on. In order to meet his lap needs, his family made him an emotional support dummy using pre-worn clothes donated from his grandpa. Dingo couldn't be happier, and we're happy for him. 13/10 #SeniorPupSaturday

The Carolina wren is always convinced that there is one safflower seed in the feeder unlike any other—sending seed flying as he flicks his beak in search. I’ve tried to tell him that we need to have a talk about the birds in Africa, but this appears to be a losing proposition.

The poem as a stranger: Sometimes a long break is needed to hear those subtle lines which, yes, do technically scan but in which I’d have to promote stress on the words I find less expressive. My mind and ear can get stuck, thinking I’ve solved the puzzle when I haven’t.

...But not without hemming and hawing. I was going to simsub a poem with a less common flat adverb but may hold it back.

My college roommate, an English major & the valedictorian of her high school, almost always used flat adverbs (chopping off the -ly like an adjective). She thought I was silly for thinking this ungrammatical. Somewhere along the way this became part of my colloquial inner voice.

The remarkable @BorisDralyuk from @utulsa in today's Asymptote journal!

Take two at establishing a native plant outside my apartment, and this year the aronia is finally strong enough to hold a berry harvest (if a bit lopsided from all the rabbits, deer, and wind breakage). It's good to see a catbird combing through the clusters for what's ripe.

A favorite little poem: