Poetry News September 2010

September has been an exciting month. Two more poems have been accepted for a forthcoming issue of Takahe, I'm a Tuesday Poet on Mariana Isara's blog, Type What You See and published in Shot Glass Journal #2 .

Takahe #70 is out and it's been a very good read. It showcases the work of established and emerging writers. It's excellent value, you can download a form from the website and subscribe to Takahe.

Shot Glass Journal #2 features New Zealand poets. The journal is dedicated to short poetry, great if you need a quick fix. Short poetry is tricky, how do you capture and convey an idea in under 16 lines? There are some admirable poems in this issue. Three poets in particular caught my attention. Sean Joyce, his piece warmly humorous and nostalgic. Mariana Isara, masterful in her brevity. Reilly Smethhurst, each line potent with image and rhythm, the poems unsettling, I find myself coming back to them and reading again.

courtesan

This poem was published in Takahē 69, 2010

the cold fireplace
saw her play it coy

she threw her
boots in and

tried to blind it
he sprinkled them

with soot
and lit a match

a fist of flames
pushed out

years of
silk shawls

lace undies and
fans stuffed up

the chimney
the roar

a throat open
with confession

shadow puppets

a man falls through
dressed in a paper suit,

he folds himself into
a crane and scatters
with a rattle of paper wings,

alights on her palm, unfolds
and says, "in a reflective way
I cry for...I don't know why,
you do that, you know."

his hands ache.
she oils them, warms them.