Spring News

First up is a link to UNICEF and its humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. While I've intended to do so for some time, I'm going to make my donation as soon as I finish this post. √

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I have no smooth transition from that to some good personal news, but I'll go ahead. In the fall, I started submitting a lot of my work, and recently two poems have appeared online. Unlost Journal published my cento "You Keep Me Waiting in a Truck" in #28: Discomfort Index, and "Now or Later," a New York "overheard" poem, found a home at the UK-based Street Cake Magazine. (It's in Part 2 of the current issue.) I was thrilled with both of these acceptances. Street Cake is currently open for submissions, so if you have some poems that lean toward the experimental, why not give it a shot! Same for Unlost, which specializes in found poems, when it reopens.

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The Poetry Friday roundup for March 25, 2022, is at Amy Ludwig VanDerwater's blog, The Poem Farm. (How can it be the end of March already?)

Photo by ST. Part of Nancy Blum's glass mosaic "Roaming Underfoot" (2018) at the 28th Street stop of the #6 subway line, Manhattan. Fabricated by Miotto Mosaic Art Studios. Commissioned by MTA Arts & Design and New York City Transit.

Comments

[Linda Mitchell]

Hooray! Your words in print is a good celebration for this week. And, I hear you. I've meant to make a donation and need to get on that. I'm aghast that this war is a month long. So much need everywhere.

[Susan]

So much need everywhere--you are so right, Linda. After finishing the post, I did contribute; sometimes it takes that putting it on paper (okay, screen) to commit. I'd meant to do so weeks ago.

Thank you for the kind words! Poetry Friday really did get me writing again, and I'm very grateful.

[Linda Baie]

Congratulations for your publications. That is wonderful news midst all the hard news. All we can do is write to our Congress if there is a need and give what we can. Best wishes for 'more' in submissions.

[Michelle Kogan]

Congrats on these two poems finding homes Susan! I especially like this line from your cento poem:
"The great sun has changed itself into a pumpkin moon"
"Now or Later" is kinda perfect, and fun, thanks –and for the links, and nice art at the top too!

[Amy Ludwig VanDerwater]

Many many congratulations on your poems finding good homes, Susan. The idea of an "overheard" poem is really interesting to me and your phrase "walking like inmates" - just wow. Poetry matters more than ever these days. And yes to donating. I gave to World Central Kitchen and also to a friend whose family fled Ukraine and are collecting for their friends. I keep holding onto the possible small goods so many are doing in the face of such evil and despair. Joy to your words. xo

[PATRICIA J FRANZ]

Congratulations on your good news, and thank you for sharing the UNICEF donation link!

[jama]

Hooray for you!! Always nice to hear good publication news. Congratulations, Susan!

[Susan T.]

Thanks so much, everyone! I need to get busy submitting again; I was good about it last fall. Amy, I wish I could claim credit for the "waking like inmates" line, but I just borrowed it from Cleopatra Mathis's poem "Getting Out." I

[Robyn Hood Black]

Love found poetry! Thank you for the link(s) - your poem of disparate lines from different hands has an intriguing tone all its own. As others, I've made small donations to a few organizations. The resilience and courage of the Ukrainians is amazing; so many prayers for all.

[Susan T.]

The Ukrainians have been amazing and brave, Robyn. I wonder if some will resettle here. We have a couple of Ukrainian churches in nearby cities.

[tanita]

Congratulations!!! This reminds me that some of the purpose of writing is SHARING... except for on the blog, I'm pretty bad at that...

[Laura Purdie Salas]

I know what you mean about transitions. So hard to hold and to talk about both the horrible and the delightful in quick succession. But...we must! So happy for your two acceptances--congratulations!

[Susan T.]

Tanita, yes! Years ago I had the best conversation about literacy with one of my children's librarian friends, and we talked about how literacy was all about connection. Participating in Poetry Friday has really helped me get writing again, and I so enjoy talking to everyone here. I love hearing what everyone is working on & putting into print.

Laura, exactly! Thanks so much for the congrats. I really do enjoy collecting the lines and putting together the poems.

[Ruth]

Congratulations!

[Heidi Mordhorst]

This is always good news for all of us, and helps to keep the balance in the world, I think, even if there is "no smooth transition." You seem to have zoomed in on the perfect homes for your work--admirable! (Tried posting this first thing this morning and couldn't get it to work!)

[Susan]

Thank you so much, Heidi and Ruth. Sorry you had posting issues, Heidi. Something seemed to be off-kilter this morning, but resolved itself. Who knows!

[Mary Lee Hahn]

Congratulations! Thanks for being a submission role model. I need to get better/try harder...

[Susan T.]

Thank you, Mary Lee. You have such good poems! Definitely submit. I enjoyed the process of looking at journals and seeing if the work is a fit.

[Rose Cappelli]

Congratulations on your publications!

[Susan]

Thank you, Rose! Both of these places were great to work with.

[Sally Murphy]

Good news indeed. Congratulations on your well-deserved successes. Against the hard times we are witnessing and living through, we need the good news too.

[Susan T.]

Thank you for your kind words, Sally. The world is such a mess, but we do keep putting one foot in front of the other.

[Elisabeth]

Congratulations on these publications! It's always wonderful when something we've written finds a public home where readers can find it and relate to it.

[Susan T.]

Absolutely, Elisabeth. Thank you. I was happy with these two acceptances, and have a new poem that I need to get circulating.