James Penha at New Verse News has done me another great honor in sharing a poem of mine that I wrote about Alabama recently subverting the Federal Supreme Court’s ruling that gays had the right to marry. They decided to go rogue and keep denying these people marriage licenses. It is a sad time to be an American. The poem is titled “Alabama attempts to stand still” and you can find it here. Please, comment with your thoughts, if you feel so inclined. Thanks for taking the time to read. If you enjoy it, share it.
Five new poems up at Novel Masters!
The kind people over at Novel Masters asked me to send them a few poems, and they were generous enough to share them with the world. You can read them here. Special thanks to Christopher Gretkus. Check out these poems and let me know your thoughts.
Six new poems published with Boston Poetry Magazine!
Thanks for checking in. Had another lucky break with my latest series of political response poems and Boston Poetry Magazine accepted and published six of them. One of these, my poem dedicated to Brittany Maynard, is very close to my heart, and it had been looking for a home for quite some time. Another, “Soy un ganador,” I wrote in the style of the Beck song “Loser” in response to Kanye saying he didn’t deserve the award. If you check out these pieces, please let me know what you think of them. Much gratitude and many thanks to Mike Jewett for taking a chance on my work.
Five new poems published with Revolution John!
Today, Revolution John has published five of my new poems, four of which are response poems to recent events. One of these pieces, “This poem is a picture of the prophet Muhammad” responds to the recent terror attack in Paris and is dedicated to the Charlie Hebdo publication that was attacked. This poem should come with a “blasphemy warning,” meaning you shouldn’t read it if you know blasphemy upsets you. Another of these pieces is about Taylor Swift, and I hope she doesn’t try to sue me, or Sheldon Compton, the editor of the journal. I send much gratitude and admiration to Sheldon for taking a chance on my work and sharing it with the world. This is my second time in this magazine.
New poem published with New Verse News!
New Verse News has accepted another of my topical poems. This one is about the Jordanian pilot that recently lost his life due to the extremists who call themselves ISIS. I thank James Penha for giving me another opportunity and sharing my work with the world. You can find the poem, “A man burned alive is reincarnated as a firefighter” here. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for supporting poetry.
New poem published at New Verse News!
Another of my news-related, topical poems has found a home. This one is about the police force in Florida that were found to be using African American mugshots for target practice. A clergy group started sending them pictures with the caption “use me instead,” and thus the idea for the poem was sparked. You’ll find the poem here at New Verse News. Kind thanks and gratitude to James Penha for the opportunity.
New poem up at Change Seven Magazine!
My poem “Disco ver(ses) in the key of American Hustle” appears in the debut issue of Change Seven Magazine. It is a stellar issue, and I am lucky to be a part of it. Take the time to check it out and provide feedback if you are so inclined. Much appreciation to Sheryl Monks and staff for putting this thing together. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Change Seven.
Poem published at The Lake!
The February issue of The Lake is out, which contains my poem “In the veins of the Earth.” Many thanks to John Murphy for including my work and continuing to put out a top notch journal. I encourage you to check it out and provide feedback on the issue!
Poem published with Redheaded Stepchild!
My poem “lethologica” appears in the latest issue of Redheaded Stepchild. Please check it out. I’m so grateful to have found a home for this poem, and in such good company. Many thanks to the editorial staff, with special thanks to Malaika K. Albrecht.
A poem for Michael Moore:
Cowards
It takes bravery to badmouth the dead,
the ghosts are not reloading their weapons.
It takes bravery to hoist that mic high,
clearing the frame of the shot.
The camera lens cannot tell a lie
like a video editor, splicing together a script.
It’s a sniper scope. Aimed, it focuses,
on targets unaware of the crosshairs.
When the trigger is pulled he’s far away,
in a darkened room that smells of sex.
The filmmaker sleeps, a food-drunk bear
with no blood on his giant paws,
for underdogs, his bravery is popcorn butter
wiped onto a wrinkled tuxedo shirt.
Jay Sizemore