I polled myself–a single throng–…
poems
John Bolton’s Wars (a poem)
If Rudy* is a “hand grenade”*Why did Bolton* send his aideTo disarm the whole charadeWhile Bolton lounges in the shade? Well, that is how his wars are made:From the safety of Bolton’s brain. Note: *Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of NYC… Read More ›
As If a Cell Can Bar a Soul (a poem)
In honor of World Poetry Day Couplets for those who don’t betray The verse of stars, the vow of stones And meet the sinking sun alone– As if a cell can bar a soul … As if a whale can… Read More ›
Couplets: “It Was a Dark and STORMY Day”
Within the White House the forecast is “Stormy.” But the president swears that NOTHING porny Ever happened with that woman hushed With money that had NOTHING to do with slush. Lawyers pay off porn stars all the time Right before… Read More ›
Rumple Oxbridge: “Twitter Totter”
By Rumple Oxbridge, liberal lyricist I’ll say this much for Twitter: It’s Tr——p’s Achilles’ Heel. Eventually he’ll tweet something so far beyond the pale, almost every Republican will admit the news is real. They will stand before a mic to… Read More ›
William Blake: “Auguries of Innocence”
[JK: An augury is an omen and this is a political poem because . . . today is Blake’s birthday and the poem details connections, relationships ecological and human we too often, especially in the halls of power, fail to… Read More ›
April: Poetry & Mud
A poet in a bad mood can ruin a reputation, as T.S. Eliot did for April when he called it “the cruellest month”, adding an extra letter l for emphasis. I prefer what Robert Frost had to say about April… Read More ›
“The Poem to End All Cruelty”
The Poem to End All Cruelty For many years she wanted to write a poem To end all cruelty. But always she failed to start Or finish because she thought: Who am I To try to change what many holy… Read More ›
“A Banished Sound”
A Banished Sound by John Kaufman Banishment has this benefit: Art becomes your argument. You’re free To dabble in the resistance of language, Rebel in babble, decorate the walls With something human that will last or have To be… Read More ›
“There Is”
There Is by John Kaufman There is injustice . . . There is tragedy . . . And there is a woman utterly frank laughing as she unbuttons her blouse. And there is an ocean far to the west… Read More ›
“What We Must Preserve”
(This poem of mine first appeared in the last issue of Verse Wisconsin, Issue 113, in April 2014.) What We Must Preserve by John Kaufman To hear each other, what we must preserve is the dignity of… Read More ›
American Life in Poetry Column 498 by Ted Kooser
Welcome to American Life in Poetry. For information on permissions and usage, or to download a PDF version of the column, visit http://www.americanlifeinpoetry.org. ****************************** American Life in Poetry: Column 498 BY TED KOOSER, U.S. POET LAUREATE Here’s a… Read More ›
New Poems by Rebecca Kylie Law
[Today I’m pleased to present three new poems by Australian poet Rebecca Kylie Law. The poems were submitted to The Afternoon Journal and are published for the first time. Please note the copyright: All rights reserved.] For St Francis… Read More ›
For Earth Day: “Beauty and Truth”
Beauty and Truth Windows let in spring’s bare light, the early drab before leaf and petal glamorize the season. I must refrain from reason now– this art a beautiful indirection that gets somewhere somehow, that lets virtue bloom, crocuses… Read More ›
“On Humpty Dumpty”
On Humpty Dumpty Tyrants of egg-headed ambiguity raise walls of anti-prose, well-trained indecipherable code down which readers will fall and fail like an egg shattered after a spectacular crash. A spectacle for sure, and yet no way to put them whole with horses… Read More ›
The Pacific 