Countervailing Forces
Sean MurphySince there are no coincidences (but maybe Fate, Irony, & Karma high-five at times) this poem, written a while back (during—without putting too fine a point on it—a time when…
On Broken Heels (x 2)
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 04: Muscian Sonny Rollins arrives at the 34th Kennedy Center Honors held at the Kennedy Center Hall of States on December 4, 2011 in Washington, DC.…
On This Day, 1979
Chicago police disperse crowd in center field of Chicago's White Sox Park after hundreds of disco records were blown up between games of a double-header between the White Sox and…
Murphy’s Laws: 54 Infallible Observations on the Occasion of Turning 54
“With age comes wisdom, but sometimes age comes alone.” That, from the ever-quotable Oscar Wilde. Does age impart wisdom? Maybe. It definitely provides opinions. Some of them, perhaps, are worthwhile.…
1455 PRESENTS: A CONVERSATION WITH SUSAN RICH, AUTHOR OF ‘BLUE ATLAS’
It's a tradition that began last year, and I hope we repeat every year: making sure we properly acknowledge National Poetry Month by celebrating the work of an amazing contemporary…
Introducing “Kinds of Blue”
I am delighted to share that my third poetry collection, Kinds of Blue, is now available! Why Did I Write This Book?My work is as political as ever, but I seldom write…
Original Poem: Contraband
I think after almost 40 years the statute of limitations expires for petit larceny (petty, too). I'm not proud of "liberating" that dessert, but it inspired this poem that imagines…
Original Poem: Our Mothers, Whose Art is Heaven
This cycle of poems deals with “mommy issues” in, hopefully, all the right ways and for all the right reasons! The first of this three-poem cycle is below. Huge gratitude,…
Original Poem: Impermanence
I’ve written about my mother often, for all the right reasons (I love her, I cherish her memory, she’s a vital part of my ongoing existence, etc.), and I find…
Original Poem: A Middle-Aged Boy Mourns His Mother
I've written about my mother often, for all the right reasons (I love her, I cherish her memory, she's a vital part of my ongoing existence, etc.), and I find…