Vox Populi

A curated webspace for Poetry, Politics, and Nature with over 20,000 daily subscribers and over 8,000 archived posts.

Al Ortolani: Two Poems

I imagined my mother by a fishpond
with garden rocks and submerged reeds,
a pool stocked with orange comets,
fantails, and spotted carp.

July 17, 2025 · 19 Comments

Al Ortolani: Picking Ticks Off the Dog

Pulling ticks is not for the faint at heart.

May 31, 2023 · 9 Comments

Al Ortolani: Paper Birds Don’t Fly

Sitting at the table with the paper birds,
she unfolded mine and began to read.
I couldn’t make out a word
she was saying.

December 7, 2021 · 1 Comment

Al Ortolani: The Taco Boat

Last night, I bought a 12-pack of tacos
at Taco Bell, not because I was
especially hungry, but because I could.

November 9, 2021 · 3 Comments

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