Etiquette

The new issue of Poemeleon is out, and the theme this time around is Prime Time poetry, which the editor, Cati Porter, describes as follows -

"What unites (the poems), though, is this: They are all what we consider 'prime time poetry,' poems that can be understood, appreciated, and felt on a first read. Poetry that is, well, accessible.

This is not to say that we don't value difficulty in poetry. In recent years I personally have developed a taste for difficult work, precisely because there is so much puzzling out to do, relying on the reader to fill in & make leaps to decipher what is on the page.

But, sometimes I just want to read.

Sometimes I want a window into a room where I can make out the furniture. I want to look in and see chairs, see bodies, overhear conversations between lovers, between family members; I want a glimpse of something authentic, something I can relate to. I think this is what is meant by “accessible,” a term that has acquired a bad rap but that to me simply means work that doesn’t need a decoder ring and a cup of Ovaltine to figure out."

Please be sure to check out my poem "Etiquette," which has the much-coveted slot of Thursday night at 8 pm!