THINKING ABOUT HER
—from Rattle #80, Summer 2023
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Bruce Weigl: “‘Thinking about Her’ is simply what it says. I was thinking about a friend of mine, but the surprise, at least for me, is the sad face of the statue. That’s what she said to me, this friend, one day in Ha Noi.”
SUPERMOON
—from Poets Respond
September 3, 2023
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Abby E. Murray: “My nine-year-old recently asked me point-blank if it was worth it to grow up in “such a cruel world” and I really didn’t know how to answer. Her point was that the violence and grief of living today might be beyond overwhelming, but I couldn’t help also noting the profound impact of kindness on the same world. And who are we to say with certainty that a deeply humane commitment to one another isn’t as old as our willingness to destroy? Kindness may be nearby all the time, even if we can’t see it; Wednesday’s blue supermoon was the perfect vehicle for me to finally try answering my daughter’s question about all the energy it takes to keep going right now.” (web)
AN AUTOCORRECT POEM
—from 2023 Rattle Young Poets Anthology
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Why do you like to write poetry?
Fae Merritt: “I like writing because it’s fun to make up stories and write about your ideas. It can be not real in the world but it becomes real when you write it.”
SPEAKING OF BIRDS
—from Rattle #80, Summer 2023
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Gray Thomas: “This poem was composed after a writing prompt provided by the Salt Lake Community College Writing Center during an April 30/30 challenge. Due to the nature of the challenge, it was written hastily at a bar with a buzz of activity swirling around me. Sometimes I enjoy plucking the vibrations of people surrounding me—as though my pen is a needle on a seismograph measuring an earthquake.” (web)
Image: “Here I Go” by Elizabeth Hlookoff. “Aphorisms Thrown into the Eye of the Blizzard” was written by Tamara Raidt for Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge, July 2023, and selected as the Editor’s Choice. (PDF / JPG)
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APHORISMS THROWN INTO THE EYE OF THE BLIZZARD
—from Ekphrastic Challenge
July 2023, Editor’s Choice
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Comment from the series editor, Megan O’Reilly: “When I chose ‘Aphorisms Thrown into the Eye of the Blizzard’ as my winner for the Ekphrastic Challenge this month, I knew I’d have to give a disclaimer: I love this poem but I’m not sure I’m equipped for it, and that’s partly because–brace yourselves–I’ve never read the Odyssey, which the poet clearly references with great significance. While I can’t do justice to the layers of meaning here, I am very compelled by the profundity I can sense, if not fully grasp. I enjoy the way this poem unfolds, the language and content becoming more open and revealing, and the way most lines are strong enough to stand alone–‘The sun is as round as bellies can get’ is a poem in and of itself. The facelessness of the female figure in the painting and the abstract nature of the swirling circle she exists within are elements that strike me as dark and haunting, and I find ‘Aphorisms …’ to have that same sense of evocative unease.”
SIXTEEN SECONDS
—from Rattle #80, Summer 2023
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Lisa Shen: “When I was in grade nine, all the girls had to do a ‘personal defense’ training. A man in full body armor tackled us one by one in a sexual assault simulation, and we were instructed on how to fend off the attack. The main thing I learned was that I had no chance of fighting back. This poem is about the culture of fear surrounding girlhood and womanhood, and how we need to address the root causes of gender-based violence by educating teens about consent.” (web)
ILLICIT
—from Rattle #22, Winter 2004
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Diane Stone: “My grandfather taught me that poetry happens anywhere. He quoted his favorite poems even when we went fishing. Because of him, I think of poetry as a best friend. It helps me focus, helps me remember those tiny details from years ago, helps me see the big picture, reminds me to be patient.”
