Category: Poetry
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The Old Woman’s Weather
1.97kW the old womansits in the winter sunreading the newspaper. look at this! two peoplemy agedied this week. the roof,busy with other things, reminds her that more peoplenot her age also diedthis week. the old womanconsiders this. not helping. — from The Old Woman’s Weather All rights reserved. These stories may not be reproduced without…
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Day 5 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry A Tree’s Redress I.My last leaves turntoward lowly light while inside me,I hear autumnredressing me. II.you, who sitwhere my reach holds earth, what have younot said? III.I watch a housea fence a rose a crow a hoseand a ring of smokefrom your fire. Written for Writer’s Digest NovPAD…
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The Old Woman & Marcel
The Old Woman and Marcel (or the universe remembers its own size) The Old Woman was writing about short things when a mouse climbs onto the table. ‘Small,’ she said, looking at him.‘Relative,’ said Marcel, looking at the cheese. Then he wrote: Short My legs are short.My reach is shorter.But leave the cheese too near…
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Day 4 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry I. Short and Shorter(a list poem, and a wee small story) Zeptoverse*; a quark;a neutrino;an atom; dust;salt;spice;a grain of rice;a grain of pollen; a crumb;a stitch;a spark;a splinter; a seed;a comma;a raindrop;a button; a moment;a teardrop;a murmur;a shadow’s footprint; a penny;a pebble;a feather;a whisper; a bee;a wren;a mouse…
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Day 2 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry Prompt: (blank) More (black) Some More, Please fairies in the street,pirates on the grass. one knocking. knocking.coal-dust cheek, grey coatfrayed into fog, flat cap,burlap mouth. his shoes leakinto November. trick ortreat— please, lady,I want some more. Written for Writer’s Digest NovPAD Chapbook Challenge. ©Misky 2006-2026. Scomtoma is a…
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0311: dVerse Quadrille
The Shrilling that storm left us chilly mornings,hedgerows more thorn than leaf, and every bird, insect,winged or walking shrilling with sound. I scarcely moveshould they ceaseand fall into quietness. but they sing,so persistentand insistent. T’is joy, by my own creation. Written for dVerse Poets and De’s Quadrille #259 (44-words excluding the title) including the word…
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Day 3 Poem-a-Day Challenge (revised)
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry I. Her 50th Birthday Celebration there was no lunch.hunger waited. first, the singing.songs she’d picked years ago,lyrics on scrollsbound with red ribbon, didn’t know the words —tight-lipped, I mouthed them. then gifts. slowly.surgically.she stood, each giftturned before us. at ten o’clockmy father-in-law left the tableand fell asleep on…
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03.11: The Liturgy
Liturgy for the Fragments That Will Not Fit(for the questions that multiply in the silence) I. The Moulding of Reasonable ExplanationsShe tries to build a storyfrom the pieces on the table:the ring with Mairi inside,the spiral lock in its sealed envelope,the photographs that will not speak,the dogs that face the sea. Perhaps Mairi was a…
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Day 2 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry II. 02.11.26 (draft) No More Pine sickly freshpine forests in a bottleand weather in the room. I hold a coldkidney-shaped bowlbelow my chin. her quiet shoeswhiten the corridor,stiff cotton whispers. her hat sailsthe top of her head. “does it floatlike my boatin the bathtub?” I ask. Written for…
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Day 1 Poem-a-Day Challenge
A Month of Writing Negative Space Poetry II. 1.11.26 (draft) not a breath, norcrisp breeze, yet flurriesof leaves escape the gripof branches. Add grass clippings to them, I tell him,the roses will thank you in the spring. Written for Writer’s Digest NovPAD Chapbook Challenge. Day 1: fresh. ©Misky 2006-2026. Scomtoma is a partially diminished or…
