Night of December 9, 2020, on Public Avenue
Notes on the Passing of a Tree
Sugar Maple, October 2020 I come outside to berate the men, pulled up on my sidewalk in their truck, not realizing it's really a hearse, these the pall bearers They mean no harm; they have a job to do and they apologize, but then the lift and chipper arrive, and I know what death lies …
Isaac Post, Founding Father of Montrose, Pennsylvania
In my recent collection of poems, I’ve included a piece about Isaac Post. He’s an impressive figure in the history of Montrose, Pennsylvania, with a long list of accomplishments. In some respects, he might easily compare to Benjamin Franklin, a noble do-gooder and problem solver. Indeed, Emily Blackman and Rhamanthus Stockton (what a name!) recount …
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Ted Kooser on the Magic of Metaphor
I recently came across an online interview with the poet Ted Kooser from World Literature Today that shared his thoughts on the power of metaphor. In the past few months, I’ve been rereading one of his books, Splitting an Order, and sometimes I’ll select one of his poems to imitate in my own writing. So …
A Few Words for John Prine
I’ve been wanting to say a few words about the death of John Prine. It saddens me to write those words, and perhaps that’s why I’ve put off writing this post for so long. So much seems to have happened since then, but here goes. I came late to the music of John Prine, having …