‘Poetry as a Pathway to Critical Thinking’: An Essay by Leland James
. Poetry as a Pathway to Critical Thinking —with a focus on metaphor and image Poetry: “the right words in the best order.” —Samuel Taylor...
Poetry Challenge: Classic Poem and Response
. In this poetry challenge, poet Roy E. Peterson challenges you to post a classic poem and a poetic response to it (of any length). See his example...
‘The Flower’s Refrain’: A Poem by Ulysses Arlen
. The Flower’s Refrain A tender shoot breaks through the ground, Drawn upward by the golden sun; It spreads its quiet leaves around, And grows till...
‘Family Affair’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
. Family Affair It was an educational affair, So many distant relatives were there, And it was nice to learn who they all were, Too bad without a...
‘Pope Leo XIV’s Green Mass’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant
. Pope Leo XIV’s Green Mass My aim is red. My game is green. _I’m cloaked in clouds of white. This choking planet’s mine to clean. _I’m...
‘For Liza Am I Westward Bound’: A Lyrical Folk Ballad by Davis Saunders
. For Liza Am I Westward Bound _The year was 1868, __The place—Old King James’ town, _Young John was by his window sat, __Entranced and looking...
‘The Pervading Presence’ and Other Poetry by Martin Rizley
. The Pervading Presence The summer gleams in meadow, stream, and hill Beneath the warming sun of mid-July; No sudden sound disturbs the landscape...
‘Simply Chilling’: A Tetraptych of Poems by Susan Jarvis Bryant
. Simply Chilling . I. A Boring Villanelle My humdrum life has been a constant bore--- An unembellished scene of somber tone. Monotony is coursing...
‘After If’: A Poem After Kipling, by Josh Mitteldorf
. After If ---with affection and all respect for dear Rudyard If you can keep your heart when all about you Are stretching reason to its reasoned...
Eternal Rose, with Rows and Rows: Canto XXX of Dante’s Paradise, Translated by Stephen Binns
. Eternal Rose, with Rows and Rows: Canto XXX of Paradise by Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) translated by Stephen Binns Six thousand miles away, high...
‘On Never Giving Up’: A Poem by Mark Stellinga
. On Never Giving Up On reaching the point where it's tough to find answers to _“What-are-we-doing-this-for?” And the number of people that...
A Poem on the July 4th Texas Flash Floods, by Susan Jarvis Bryant
. There Are No Words ---on the July 4th Texas flash floods There are no words to quell a swell of grief That swallows hope and snatches at the...
Lyrics of Oliver Goldsmith, Translated into Latin by Joseph S. Salemi
. When Lovely Woman Stoops to Folly… by Oliver Goldsmith (1728-1774) When lovely woman stoops to folly, And finds too late that men betray, What...
Prologue in Heaven from ‘Faust’ by Goethe, Translated by Josh Olson
. From Faust: The Tragedy, Part I Prologue in Heaven by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) translated from German by Josh Olson . The Lord, the...
‘On Quantock Hills’: A Poem by Andy Moody
. On Quantock Hills On Quantock Hills, as Skylarks sing aloft, A humble pilgrim walks on ways of old, In morning light, with air so still and...
‘The Juggler’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
. The Juggler ---with special kudos to George Clooney, Whoopi Goldberg, Taylor Swift, Susan Sarandon, Tom Hanks, Mark Hamill, Robert DeNiro and a...
‘Optimism’: A Poem for the Graduating Class of 2025, by Benjamin Daniel Lukey
. Optimism ---to the Class of 2025 The world is cold and hard and dark enough; We need not cloud it with our own despair. And it is furnished, too,...
‘Never Time to Spare’ and Other Poetry by Gigi Ryan
. Never Time to Spare ---a villanelle My daughter, I am watching you with love for I’ve been there, When dishes overflow the sink and books are...
A Poem on the Ghost Town Bodie, by James A. Tweedie
. Bodie The whistled whispers of a desert wind Drift through the dusty streets and haunted halls Where faded lives of those who loved and sinned Now...
‘Independence Day, 2025’: A Poem by Susan Jarvis Bryant
. Independence Day, 2025 It’s so much more than red and white and blue And stars that spangle banners flying high. It’s something strong and...
A Poem After Chesterton’s ‘A Ballad of Theatricals’, by M.D. Skeen
. IRL —after G.K. Chesterton’s "A Ballad of Theatricals" (reprinted below) Though all the emails I receive—surprisingly politely...
‘The Playland’: A Poem by Shamik Banerjee
. The Playland Once in a playland caked with fresh-born mud, I saw a league of book-freed children smile collectively like petals of a bud in varied...
SCP Symposium In-Person in September in Naperville, Illinois
. Request for Expression of Interest SCP Poet Russel Winick has graciously agreed to host an in-person SCP Symposium at his large residence in...
‘Summer Family Cookout’: A Poem by Doug Stoiber
. Summer Family Cookout Criss-cross, hamburger toss, _Flip that sizzlin’ patty! Pretty please, and top with cheese! _You’re the Great Grill...
‘Bayesian Hubris v. Mercy Seat 11A’: A Poem by James Sale
. Bayesian Hubris v. Mercy Seat 11A “Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, 40, who miraculously walked away from the Ahmedabad disaster, in which more than 240...
‘Gorge’: A Poem on Fishing by Stephen M. Dickey
. Gorge Millennia before the Bass Pro tours, Sonar fish finders and electric reels, Some unsung pioneer dreamed baits and lures, Felt in his blood...
‘On the Existence of Two Genders’: A Poem by Brian Yapko
. On the Existence of Two Genders Note: This poem is written in response to the trans-driven push to promulgate the idea that gender is either...
‘Therapy’: A Poem by Mary Jane Myers
. Therapy ---After "Help! I Can’t Stop Speaking in Iambic!" by Cynthia Erlandson Help! I can’t stop writing psychobabble!No matter what I pen, it...
‘Every Square Inch’: A Poem by Frank Rable
. Every Square Inch Her every square inch, her breath, and her voice, In all this and more my soul can rejoice. The beat from her heart, the wink...
Two Poems on Cardinals, by T.M. Moore
. Cardinals The cardinal is my favorite bird.They mate for life, or so I’ve heard.You hear them sing antiphonally—it’s like a game they play,...
Report on Results of the SCP Survey of Poets
. Report on Results of the SCP Survey of Poets by Roy E. Peterson and Evan Mantyk The survey had 60 respondents, about 1/3rd of them were SCP...
SCP Poetry Competition Winners’ Symposium—You’re Invited! (Updated with Link)
. The SCP Poetry Competition Winners’ Symposium Join the Symposium...
‘Rolling the Dice’: A Poem by Warren Bonham
. Rolling the Dice “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist.”...
‘A Whale Is a Whale’: A Poem After Ogden Nash, by Jonathan Bear
. A Whale is a Whale ---after Ogden Nash While laughing aloud at Ogden's smart rhymes, I was struck by a way to interpret his lines. Though Nash's...
‘Hope’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
. Hope ---in homage to Langston Hughes Hold steadfastly to hopeFor if hope should subsideLife’s a slippery slopeWhere dreams only...
‘Dad and I’ and Other Poems by C.B. Anderson
. Dad and I Our sessions last an hour or two at most, for we get through them just as fast as can be managed, trying not to stir the ghost of hurts...
‘Rodrigo’s Lament’: A Poem by Damon Rose
. Rodrigo’s Lament The legendary knight El Cid duels with his fiancé’s father. His rasping knavish voice profanes my good name. It grates my...
‘New York, New York’: A Poem on the NYC Mayor Race, by Brian Yapko
. New York, New York “Give up Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island too…” (with apologies to Rodgers & Hart) How many songs about New York...
‘A Sonnet for My One True Love’ and Other Poetry by Aaron Nydegger
. A Sonnet for My One True Love Forever let the night go on and on, My body to your softness gently pressed, Nor let the touch of shameful, blushing...
‘Gruesome’: A Poem on the LA Riots of 2025, by Adam Wasem
. Gruesome Grinning Gavin smooths his tie, Makes sure he’s framed against blue sky. He pats his hair—one’s out of place; He frowns to note...