Majid Naficy: Censoring Love
Suddenly, I remember Ezzat
Who was shot in Evin Prison
And buried in the Cemetery of the Infidels
In a mass grave without any gravestones.
Rachel Hadas: Shopping Upstairs
Terror, stasis, glints of hope.
Ghosts of evils that came before,
plague and depression, civil war,
take on new life. So here we are.
Robert Wrigley: What She Said
She said to him, Oh, Jack, what have they done?
Karen Friedland: High Heels
in order to rule the sidewalks
and men’s hearts —
to beat out all those other dames
Angele Ellis: Kelli Stevens Kane’s Songs of Innocence and Experience
In fifty numbered verses—many with the diamond-like compression of Emily Dickinson—Stevens Kane explores how the daily reality of the body suddenly can become extraordinary, paranormal—and how the science of events—such as gravity—can give way to the spiritual…
Doug Anderson: Anonymous from the Han Dynasty
What a relief to sit by the waterfall
and let my mind go like this, each thought
a bubble rising from the bottom of a pond
Joan E. Bauer: Echo Park
On the cargo floor of a battered Chevy van,
an old man is working. Lopez Shoe Repair.
Oxfords, monk-straps, derbies, pointed boots & loafers.
Seven days a week.
Video: My Journey from Marine to Actor — Adam Driver
Before he fought in the galactic battles of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Adam Driver was a United States Marine with 1/1 Weapons Company. He tells the story of how and why he became a Marine, the complex transition from soldier to civilian — and Arts in the Armed Forces, his nonprofit that brings theater to the military. Followed by a spirited performance of Marco Ramirez’s “I am not Batman” by Jesse J. Perez and Matt Johnson.
Michael T. Young: Concession Speech
People don’t understand that the road
to concession is paved with denial.
Julie Bruck: The Latest Dictator
The President is believed to be hiding in the basement. —BBC News
Michael Simms: Writing Prompt #1 | The Quotidian Poem
This post marks the beginning of a new irregular feature in Vox Populi. I hope readers of Vox Populi, many of whom are writers, will find the prompt helpful in stimulating their creativity.
Emily Dickinson: I have no life but this
I have no Life but this —
To lead it here —
Gerry LaFemina: Collection
In my life I’ve gathered maybe five perfect rocks. It isn’t that they were smooth or handsomely speckled with rare minerals. No, they were often misshapen, pitted, easily forgettable.
