Skipping Stones

skipping stones

You were skipping stones and I was romancing the thought of your hands and my hands and the miles of water between us, Wondering what the distance means, our bodies like pebbles that don’t know when to drown. Look at us, the cracks in our bones grasping for light. Look at how bad we are…

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The Shut-In’s Lament in Springtime

The Shut-In's Lament in Springtime

Birds build their nests from sticks and gobs of gum in flaking foil, old condom wrappers, pop- tops, every dime I’ve ever dropped. The sun’s still sleeping. I am too. But they start up their favorite predawn song: God-DAMN I’m great at sex! Woo! I can sing so fucking LOUD! My snazzy plumage dazzles! Virile! Bright!…

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First Bloom

first bloom

Look again. This is not some common hustle here by the road. Gaudy does not always mean cheap, but yes, she looks a little trashy there in all that lipstick. She is young—she follows her own bright vision. See how she teeters without support, fully flared weight hoisted by a skinny leg on tiptoe. She…

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Spring Showers

spring showers

The spring rains wash away the last of the mud-encrusted snow. The cocoons burst like overfilled water balloons. The leaves emerge darker, a more emerald, sea-foam green. The dew-laden air will rush through the house like an excitable puppy. And I will dance with a spring-in-my-step, umbrella in hand, like Fred Astaire.

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Spring Haiku in Solitude

spring haiku in solitude

“Do introverts get lonely?” Dogs don’t answer, snore on floor by queen bed. “Make More Love” wall art laughs above my pillowed head, hung before breakup. Hugless in Phoenix cuddles chiweenie’s silk fur, inhales musk and warmth. Masks dangle key rack: floral, lip prints, checkered; three are grandgirl’s, three mine. Gray birds perch upper branches…

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Migration

cedar waxwings | migration by miho kinnas

Because you felt better after the blood test we drove to downtown turning down Liberty, we waited for the pedestrians to cross above us, birds fluttered between a palmetto and a palmetto I said, “cedar waxwings.” “They are busy.” “That’s how I know who they are.” They act as if being chased by a big…

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Interview: Barbara Henning Discusses “Prompt Book” and Finding the Inspiration to Write

prompt book barbara henning

If you’re a writer looking for prompts, inspiration, or lessons on literary movements, then writers.com instructor Barbara Henning‘s new book Prompt Book (Spuyten Duyvil Publishing, 2021) is your solution. Naturally, we were curious about how an author goes about collecting and publishing a book of prompts. Below is our full interview with Barbara on Prompt Book…

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Prose vs. Poetry: Their Differences and Overlaps

poetry vs prose

The difference between prose and poetry seems easy to explain: one has blocks of text and fully-fleshed characters, the other has line breaks and pretty words. That’s it, right? Despite their visual quirks, prose and poetry share many similarities: prose can be musical, poetry can have plots and characters, and both are millennia-old traditions. As…

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9 Poems for Spring

poems about spring

Good news in the Northern Hemisphere: spring starts this Saturday. To commemorate, we’re delighted to share with you nine previously unpublished poems on spring from Writers.com instructors and community members. We hope these sad, warm, funny, springy poems touch you as they did us—wherever you are in these last days of winter. See Spring at…

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