David Kirby: Two Poems
Let us be like my friend Rick’s grandma,
who Rick remembers trotting alongside the car as his dad
drove him and his brother down the long driveway from
her house, tapping on a window until one of the boys
rolled it down so she could ask, “Did you get enough pie?
Sasha Abramsky: After Massive Cuts to Forest Service, US Enters Fire Season Woefully Unprepared
The results could be catastrophic, especially in states that have experienced unprecedented fires in recent years.
Dawn Potter: Why, as the evening steps forward,
as the late noise of traffic, of shrill birdsong,
dies away, do I always recall
those brief summers, when the old folks
reclined in the grass on the hill
Donna Spruijt-Metz: Person
I wouldn’t call you back—not
to a body that would be unable
to walk the mountains freely. Even though I miss you—
even though the hole you left in me is vast—please—
trust me.
Video: Goodnight, Moon
Stephen Gailule wants closure. After hijacking his father’s ashes, he makes a suburban pilgrimage, trespassing onto the grounds of his childhood home. Things change when the new tenant takes a … Continue reading
Askold Melnyczuk: The Enamel Box
The father smokes a pipe, instructs the child:
“Cultivate wheat and a conscience.
In a pinch, forfeit
the conscience
but save that wheat.”
Video: Margie Soudek’s Salt and Pepper Shakers
Using special FX, the director Meredith Moore surrounds her grandmother with explosions, rainbows, and sparkling lights as she shares her extensive collection of salt and pepper shakers.
Langston Hughes: Let America Be America Again
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
(America never was America to me.)
Paul Rogat Loeb: Reclaiming the Flag for No Kings Day
On Flag Day, Saturday June 14, more than 1,800 local demonstrations will challenge U.S. President Donald Trump’s North Korean-style military parade for his birthday with our defense of democracy.
Abby Zimet: Shame Shame Shame | What American Justice Looks Like
The mindless rupturing of families and communities soars.
Ron Koertge: An Old Farmer
still has a few cows and goats he helped into this world, then fed with a bottle. They follow him everywhere, eyes rolled up in adoration.
Bill Knott: Our Farewells Lack the Plausibility of our Departures (Three paintings)
Bill Knott ((1940 – 2014) was an American poet and artist known for his wild originality.
Barbara Crooker: Economics 101
What if the GDP was really made up of birdsong,
the limitless arithmetic of joy?
Jake Johnson: With Tanks Heading to DC, Call by ‘Dictator’ Trump to ‘Bring in the Troops’ Spurs Fear of Wider Repression
“This is not about protecting communities,” said one human rights campaigner, “this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear.”
