*The images in this specific piece are granted copyright: Public Domain, GNU Free Documentation Licenses, Fair Use Under The United States Copyright Law.
The other images are granted copyright permission by the copyright holder, which is identified beneath each photo.
**Some of the links will have to be copied and then posted in your search engine in order to pull up properly
*** The CRC Blog welcomes submissions from published and unpublished poets for BACKSTORY OF THE POEM series. Contact CRC Blog via email at caccoop@aol.com or personal Facebook messaging at https://www.facebook.com/car.cooper.7
***Randall McNair’s “Disclaimer” is #222 in the never-ending series called BACKSTORY OF THE POEM where the Chris Rice Cooper Blog (CRC) focuses on one specific poem and how the poet wrote that specific poem. All BACKSTORY OF THE POEM links are at the end of this piece.
I had been carrying the phrase, “This is not your mother’s poetry” around with me since first writing some of the poems in Make it a Double and had used it in some of my marketing materials for the first book in the #barpoems series, Dispatches from the Swinging Door Saloon. Once the first stanza was in place, the rest of the poem just kind of appeared in my head. I think I wrote the whole piece in under 10 minutes.
I make the distinction between writing and transcribing my work because I feel there is a distinction to be made. As a poet, my job is to take the coffee-stained, cigarette-smoked copy from the bustling Office of the Muse and get it down onto my notepad, iPad, cellphone, laptop, typewriter, tree trunk, etc., as quickly as possible so as not to watch it fade away like the last fog of morning. As such, I’m more of a stenographer than writer, if that makes sense. All credit goes to my muses, the great writer in the sky, those whispering voices who desire so much to be heard. (Above Left: Randall McNair in the bar where he wrote part of "Disclaimer" Copyright granted by Randall McNair)
What month and year did you start writing this poem? Disclaimer was written on October 08, 2020.
How many drafts of this poem did you write before going to the final? (And can you share a photograph of your rough drafts with pen markings on it?) One of the advantages of writing poetry on an iPad is that you can see exactly when you wrote a particular poem. One of the disadvantages (there are a few actually) is that you don’t have revision history. I will say this, though: I am really never finished tinkering with a poem, sometimes even after sending it off to the typesetter (or even the printer). Poetry, for me, is a fluid process and my poems are, at best, gelatinous in their final form. Occasionally, though, a poem will congeal nicely and harden to a flaky crust upon the page. Such was the case with this one.
Were there any lines in any of your rough drafts of this poem that were not in the final version? And can you share them with us? Other than changing “polished” to “finished” in the first stanza and hyphenating the “This is whiskey dripping from your beard” stanza, I don’t recall making any changes to the poem. Of course it’s possible that I am misremembering that, but given the limitations highlighted above, you’ll just have to take my word for it.
A couple other downsides of writing poetry on an iPad are that you can accidentally delete words, lines, whole stanzas, and even entire poems if you’re not diligent. Also, it is often too easy to delete quality writing and replace it with inferior, watered down work. Without a revision history to look back upon, some of my favorite work has been lost in the ether of time.
What do you want readers of this poem to take from this poem? This is a great question! I’m never really trying to convey a message in my poetry. It’s mostly just my muses flirting with my mind and leaving their lingerie laying around the boudoir of my head. However, with this particular poem, I was sending a message to the prude police. Steer clear of this book, or to paraphrase Obi-Wan Kenobi, “This is not the book you’re looking for.”
It is my hope that I won’t alienate ALL the women readers out there by saying the book was written for men. It’s just that I feel poetry has become so fluffified (I know, not a word) that men tend to turn their noses at anything poetry related. I hope that in some small way I’m able to change that, because there is a whole host of benefits to reading poetry, not the least of which is its ability to convey everyday emotions in varied ways. Of course, telling my readers to go suck a dick/pussy may prove to be my downfall. Time will tell.
Which part of the poem was the most emotional of you to write and why? This poem was not a real emotional one to write, although the last line does carry some for me. And by emotion, I really just mean feeling. For me, it is important for poetry to be free from censorship, whether from the outside world or internally. By telling the world that “this is my shit,” I am figuratively throwing the dagger of my book at its feet and saying, “take it or leave it!” Again, for me, this is important. Nobody is everybody’s poet and I don’t aim to be. Just let me be me. Just let me be me.
Has this poem been published before? And if so where? No, this poem will be making its print debut in Make it a Double. I can’t imagine a poem telling readers to go suck a dick/pussy would be accepted by many editors in today’s “fluffified” poetry world.
Disclaimer
This is not
your mother’s poetry—
erudite and finished.
No, this is swinging-dick poetry
big-hanging-balls poetry
written by a man for men.
Did your mother ever
tell you
to watch your mouth?
Well, don’t you worry about that here, Stranger.
Profanity proliferates on the pages
of my poetry.
This is broken-tooth
busted-ribs, knife-to-the-gut,
HOLY-SHIT, Oh-no-he-DIDN’T poetry.
This is whiskey-dripping-from-your-beard
poetry, the-smell-of-pussy-stuck-to-your-mustache
poetry.
And, while I’m sure your mother
wrote some amazing shit, I’ll bet
she never wrote a poem entitled Whiskey Dick.
And, as for my indelicate use of words
like “pussy” and “dick,” go suck one.
Because I am a man and this is my shit.
Randal McNair described by his inner circle as Poet Laureate of the Absurd, spent the better part of a decade drinking himself silly at the Swinging Door Saloon in Tustin, California. While there, he was inspired to put pen to paper by a combination of Charles Bukowski, Billy Collins, Sharon Olds & the muse at large. His Poetry CV includes a BA in English (Creative Writing) from CSU Long Beach in 2002, the 2002 Key West Literary Seminar’s Advanced Poetry Workshop with Sharon Olds, the 2009 Key West Literary Seminar’s Advanced Poetry Workshop with Billy Collins and the 2019 Southampton Writers Conference 10-day Advanced Poetry Workshop also with Billy Collins. McNair’s work has been published in both American and Canadian literary journals. He lives in Alameda, California, with his wife and young son. (Above Left: Randall McNair in December of 2020. Copyright granted by Randall McNair)
BACKSTORY OF THE POEM LINKS
001 December 29, 2017
Margo Berdeshevksy’s “12-24”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2017/12/a-new-crc-blog-series-backstory-of-poem.html
002 January 08, 2018
Alexis Rhone Fancher’s “82 Miles From the Beach, We Order The Lobster At Clear Lake Café”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-new-crc-blog-series-backstory-of-poem.html
003 January 12, 2018
Barbara Crooker’s “Orange”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/a-new-crc-blog-series-backstory-of-poem_12.html
004 January 22, 2018
Sonia Saikaley’s “Modern Matsushima”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-fourth-installment-of-new-crc-blog.html
005 January 29, 2018
Ellen Foos’s “Side Yard”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/01/5-backstory-of-poem-sidewalk-by-ellen.html
006 February 03, 2018
Susan Sundwall’s “The Ringmaster”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/6-backstory-of-poem-susan-sundwalls.html
007 February 09, 2018
Leslea Newman’s “That Night”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/7-backstory-of-poem-that-night-by.html
008 February 17, 2018
Alexis Rhone Fancher “June Fairchild Isn’t Dead”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/8-backstory-of-poem-june-fairchild-isnt.html
009 February 24, 2018
Charles Clifford Brooks III “The Gift of the Year With Granny”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/02/9-backstory-of-poem-gift-of-year-with.html
010 March 03, 2018
Scott Thomas Outlar’s “The Natural Reflection of Your Palms”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/chris-ricecooper-caccoopaol.html
011 March 10, 2018
Anya Francesca Jenkins’s “After Diane Beatty’s Photograph “History Abandoned”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/11-backstory-of-poem-after-diane.html
012 March 17, 2018
Angela Narciso Torres’s “What I Learned This Week”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/12-backstory-of-poem-series-angela.html
013 March 24, 2018
Jan Steckel’s “Holiday On ICE”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/13-backstory-of-poem-jan-steckels.html
014 March 31, 2018
Ibrahim Honjo’s “Colors”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/03/14-backstory-of-poem-ibrahim-honjos.html
015 April 14, 2018
Marilyn Kallett’s “Ode to Disappointment”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/04/15-backstory-of-poem-ode-to_14.html
016 April 27, 2018
Beth Copeland’s “Reliquary”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/04/16-backstory-of-poem-reliquary-by-beth.html
017 May 12, 2018
Marlon L Fick’s “The Swallows of Barcelona”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/05/17-backstory-of-poem-swallows-of.html
018 May 25, 2018
Juliet Cook’s “ARTERIAL DISCOMBOBULATION”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/05/18-backstory-of-poem-arterial.html
019 June 09, 2018
Alexis Rhone Fancher’s “Stiletto Killer. . . A Surmise”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/06/19-backstory-of-poem-stiletto-killer.html
020 June 16, 2018
Charles Rammelkamp’s “At Last I Can Start Suffering”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/06/20-backstory-of-poem-at-least-i-can.html
021 July 05, 2018
Marla Shaw O’Neill’s “Wind Chimes”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/21-backstory-of-poem-wind-chimes-by.html
022 July 13, 2018
Julia Gordon-Bramer’s “Studying Ariel”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/22-backstory-of-poem-studying-ariel-by.html
023 July 20, 2018
Bill Yarrow’s “Jesus Zombie”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/23-backstory-of-poem-jesus-zombie-by.html
024 July 27, 2018
Telaina Eriksen’s “Brag 2016”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/07/24-backstory-of-poem-brag-2016-by.html
025 August 01, 2018
Seth Berg’s “It is only Yourself that Bends – so Wake up!”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/25-backstory-of-poem-it-is-only.html
026 August 07, 2018
David Herrle’s “Devil In the Details”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/26-backstory-of-poem-devil-in-details.html
027 August 13, 2018
Gloria Mindock’s “Carmen Polo, Lady Necklaces, 2017”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/27-backstory-of-poem-carmen-polo-lady.html
028 August 21, 2018
Connie Post’s “Two Deaths”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/28-backstory-of-poem-two-deaths-by.html
029 August 30, 2018
Mary Harwell Sayler’s “Faces in a Crowd”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/08/29-backstory-of-poem-faces-in-crowd-by.html
030 September 16, 2018
Larry Jaffe’s “The Risking Point”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/09/30-backstory-of-poem-risking-point-by.html
031 September 24, 2018
Mark Lee Webb’s “After We Drove”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/09/31-backstory-of-poem-after-we-drove-by.html
032 October 04, 2018
Melissa Studdard’s “Astral”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/32-backstory-of-poem-astral-by-melissa.html
033 October 13, 2018
Robert Craven’s “I Have A Bass Guitar Called Vanessa”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/33-backstory-of-poem-i-have-bass-guitar.html
034 October 17, 2018
David Sullivan’s “Paper Mache Peaches of Heaven”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/34-backstory-of-poem-paper-mache.html
035 October 23, 2018
Timothy Gager’s “Sobriety”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/35-backstory-of-poem-sobriety-by.html
036 October 30, 2018
Gary Glauber’s “The Second Breakfast”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/10/36-backstory-of-poem-second-breakfast.html
037 November 04, 2018
Heather Forbes-McKeon’s “Melania’s Deaf Tone Jacket”
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/37-backstory-of-poem-melanias-tone-deaf.html
038 November 11, 2018
Andrena Zawinski’s “Women of the Fields”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/38-backstory-of-poem-women-of-fields-by.html
039 November 00, 2018
Gordon Hilger’s “Poe”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/39-backstory-of-poem-poe-by-gordon.html
040 November 16, 2018
Rita Quillen’s “My Children Question Me About Poetry” and “Deathbed Dreams”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/40-backstory-of-poems-my-children.html
041 November 20, 2018
Jonathan Kevin Rice’s “Dog Sitting”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/41-backstory-of-poem-dog-sitting-by.html
042 November 22, 2018
Haroldo Barbosa Filho’s “Mountain”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/42-backstory-of-poem-mountain-by.html
043 November 27, 2018
Megan Merchant’s “Grief Flowers”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/43-backstory-of-poem-grief-flowers-by.html
044 November 30, 2018
Jonathan P Taylor’s “This poem is too neat”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/11/44-backstory-of-poem-poem-is-too-neat.html
045 December 03, 2018
Ian Haight’s “Sungmyo for our Dead Father-in-Law”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/045-backstory-of-poem-sungmyo-for-our.html
046 December 06, 2018
Nancy Dafoe’s “Poem in the Throat”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/046-backstory-of-poem-poem-registering.html
047 December 11, 2018
Jeffrey Pearson’s “Memorial Day”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/47-backstory-of-poem-memorial-day-by.html
048 December 14, 2018
Frank Paino’s “Laika”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/48-backstory-of-poem-laika-by-frank.html
049 December 15, 2018
Jennifer Martelli’s “Anniversary”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/49-backstory-of-poem-anniversary-by.html
O50 December 19, 2018
Joseph Ross’s “For Gilberto Ramos, 15, Who Died in the Texas Desert, June 2014”
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/50-backstory-of-poem-for-gilberto-ramos.html
051 December 23, 2018
“The Persistence of Music”
by Anatoly Molotkov
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/51-backstory-of-poem-persistence-of.html
052 December 27, 2018
“Under Surveillance”
by Michael Farry
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/52-backstory-of-poem-under-surveillance.html
053 December 28, 2018
“Grand Finale”
by Renuka Raghavan
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/53-backstory-of-poem-grand-finale-by.html
054 December 29, 2018
“Aftermath”
by Gene Barry
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2018/12/54-backstory-of-poem-aftermath-by-gene.html
055 January 2, 2019
“&”
by Larissa Shmailo
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/55-backstory-of-poem-by-larissa-shmailo_5.html
056 January 7, 2019
“The Seamstress:
by Len Kuntz
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/56-backstory-of-poem-seamstress-by-len_6.html
057 January 10, 2019
"Natural History"
by Camille T Dungy
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/57-backstory-of-poem-natural-history-by.html
058 January 11, 2019
“BLOCKADE”
by Brian Burmeister
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/58-backstory-of-poem-blockade-by-brian.html
059 January 12, 2019
“Lost”
by Clint Margrave
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/59-backstory-of-poem-lost-by-clint.html
060 January 14, 2019
“Menopause”
by Pat Durmon
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/60-backstory-of-poem-menopause-by-pat.html
061 January 19, 2019
“Neptune’s Choir”
by Linda Imbler
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/61-backstory-of-poem-neptunes-choir-by.html
062 January 22, 2019
“Views From the Driveway”
by Amy Barone
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/62-backstory-of-poem-views-from.html
063 January 25, 2019
“The heron leaves her haunts in the marsh”
by Gail Wronsky
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/63-backstory-of-poem-heron-leaves-her.html
064 January 30, 2019
“Shiprock”
by Terry Lucas
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/01/64-backstory-of-poem-shiprock-by-terry_29.html
065 February 02, 2019
“Summer 1970, The University of Virginia Opens to Women in the Fall”
by Alarie Tennille
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/65-backstory-of-poem-summer-1970.html
066 February 05, 2019
“At School They Learn Nouns”
by Patrick Bizzaro
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/66-backstory-of-poem-at-school-they.html
067 February 06, 2019
“I Must Not Breathe”
by Angela Jackson-Brown
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/67-backstory-of-poem-i-must-not-breathe.html
068 February 11, 2019
“Lunch on City Island, Early June”
by Christine Potter
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/068-backstory-of-poem-lunch-on-city.html
069 February 12, 2019
“Singing”
by Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/69-backstory-of-poem-singing-by-andrew.html
070 February 14, 2019
“Daily Commute”
by Christopher P. Locke
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/70-backstory-of-poem-daily-commute-by.html
071 February 18, 2019
“How Silent The Trees”
by Wyn Cooper
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/71-backstory-of-poem-how-silent-trees.html
072 February 20, 2019
“A New Psalm of Montreal”
by Sheenagh Pugh
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/72-backstory-of-poem-new-psalm-of.html
073 February 23, 2019
“Make Me A Butterfly”
by Amy Barbera
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/73-backstory-of-poem-make-me-butterfly_23.html
074 February 26, 2019
“Anthem”
by Sandy Coomer
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/02/74-backstory-of-poem-anthem-by-sandy.html
075 March 4, 2019
“Shape of a Violin”
by Kelly Powell
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/75-backstory-of-poem-shape-of-violin-by.html
076 March 5, 2019
“Inward Oracle”
by J.P. Dancing Bear
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/76-backstory-of-poem-inward-oracle-by.html
077 March 7, 2019
“I Broke My Bust Of Jesus”
by Susan Sundwall
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/77-backstory-of-poem-i-broke-my-bust-of.html
078 March 9, 2019
“My Mother at 19”
by John Guzlowski
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/78-backstory-of-poem-my-mother-was-19.html
079 March 10, 2019
“Paddling”
by Chera Hammons Miller
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/79-backstory-of-poem-paddling-by-chera.html
080 March 12, 2019
“Of Water and Echo”
by Gillian Cummings
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/80-backstory-of-poem-of-water-and-echo.html
081 082 083 March 14, 2019
“Little Political Sense” “Crossing Kansas with Jim
Morrison” “The Land of Sky and Blue Waters”
by Dr. Lindsey Martin-Bowen
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/81-82-and-83-backstory-of-poems-by-dr.html
084 March 15, 2019
“A Tune To Remember”
by Anna Evans
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/84-backstory-of-poem-tune-to-remember.html
085 March 19, 2019
“At the End of Time (Wish You Were Here)
by Jeannine Hall Gailey
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/85-backstory-of-poem-at-end-of-time.html
086 March 20, 2019
“Garden of Gethsemane”
by Marletta Hemphill
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/86-backstory-of-poem-view-from.html
087 March 21, 2019
“Letters From a War”
by Chelsea Dingman
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/87-backstory-of-poem-letters-from-war.html
088 March 26, 2019
“HAT”
by Bob Heman
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/88-backstory-of-poem-hat-by-bob-heman.html
089 March 27, 2019
“Clay for the Potter”
by Belinda Bourgeois
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/89-backstory-of-poem-clay-for-potter-by.html
#090 March 30, 2019
“The Pose”
by John Hicks
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/03/90-backstory-of-poem-pose-by-john-hicks.html
#091 April 2, 2019
“Last Night at the Wursthaus”
by Doug Holder
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/91-backstory-of-poem-last-night-at.html
#092 April 4, 2019
“Original Sin”
by Diane Lockward
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/92-backstory-of-poem-original-sin-by.html
#093 April 5, 2019
“A Father Calls to his child on liveleak”
by Stephen Byrne
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/93-backstory-of-poem-father-calls-to.html
#094 April 8, 2019
“XX”
by Marc Zegans
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/94-backstory-of-poem-xx-by-marc-zegans.html
#095 April 12, 2019
“Landscape and Still Life”
by Marjorie Maddox
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/95-backstory-of-poem-landscape-and.html
#096 April 16, 2019
“Strawberries Have Been Growing Here for Hundreds of
Years”
by Mary Ellen Lough
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/096-backstory-of-poem-strawberries-have.html
#097 April 17, 2019
“The New Science of Slippery Surfaces”
by Donna Spruijt-Metz
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/97-backstory-of-poem-new-science-of.html
#098 April 19, 2019
“Tennessee Epithalamium”
by Alyse Knorr
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/098-backstory-of-poem-tennessee.html
#099 April 20, 2019
“Mermaid, 1969”
by Tameca L. Coleman
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/99-backstory-of-poem-mermaids-1969-by.html
#100 April 21, 2019
“How Do You Know?”
by Stephanie
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/100-backstory-of-poem-how-do-you-know.html
#101 April 23, 2019
“Rare Book and Reader”
by Ned Balbo
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/101-backstory-of-poem-rare-book-and.html
#102 April 26, 2019
“THUNDER”
by Jefferson Carter
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/04/102-backstory-of-poem-thunder-by.html
#103 May 01, 2019
“The sight of a million angels”
by Jenneth Graser
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/05/103-backstory-of-poem-sight-of-million.html
#104 May 09, 2019
“How to tell my dog I’m dying”
by Richard Fox
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/05/104-backstory-of-poem-how-to-tell-my.html
#105 May 17, 2019
“Promises Had Been Made”
by Sarah Sarai
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/05/105-backstory-of-poem-promises-had-been.html
#106 June 01, 2019
“i sold your car today”
by Pamela Twining
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/106-backstory-of-poem-i-sold-your-car.html
#107 June 02, 2019
“Abandoned Stable”
by Nancy Susanna Breen
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/107-backstory-of-poem-abandoned-stable.html
#108 June 05, 2019
“Cupcake”
by Julene Tripp Weaver
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/108-backstory-of-poem-cupcake-by-julene.html
#109 June 6, 2019
“Bobby’s Story”
by Jimmy Pappas
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/109-backstory-of-poem-bobbys-story-by.html
#110 June 10, 2019
“When You Ask Me to Tell You About My Father”
by Pauletta Hansel
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/110-backstory-of-poem-when-you-ask-me.html
#111 Backstory of the Poem’s
“Cemetery Mailbox”
by Jennifer Horne
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/111-backstory-of-poem-cemetery-mailbox.html
#112 Backstory of the Poem’s
“Relics”
by Kate Peper
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/112-backstory-of-poem-relics-by-kate.html
#113 Backstory of the Poem’s
“Q”
by Jennifer Johnson
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/113-backstory-of-poem-q-by-jennifer.html
#114 Backstory of the Poem’s
“Brushing My Hair”
by Tammika Dorsey Jones
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/114-backstory-of-poem-brushing-my-hair.html
#115 Backstory of the Poem
“Because the Birds Will Survive, Too”
by Katherine Riegel
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/06/115-backstory-of-poem-because-birds.html
#116 Backstory of the Poem
“DIVORCE”
by Joan Barasovska
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/116-backstory-of-poem-divorce-by-joan.html
#117 Backstory of the Poem
“NEW YEAR”S EVE 2016”
by Michael Meyerhofer
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/117-backstory-of-poem-new-years-eve.html
#118 Backstory of the Poem
“Dear the estranged,”
by Gina Tron
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/118-backstory-of-poem-dear-estranged-by.html
#119 Backstory of the Poem
“In Remembrance of Them”
by Janet Renee Cryer
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/07/119-backstory-of-poem-in-remembrance-of.html
#120 Backstory of the Poem
“Horse Fly Grade Card, Doesn’t Play Well With Others”
by David L. Harrison
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/120-backstory-of-poem-horse-fly-grade.html
#121 Backstory of the Poem
“My Mother’s Cookbook”
by Rachael Ikins
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/121-backstory-of-poem-my-mothers.html
#122 Backstory of the Poem
“Cousins I Never Met”
by Maureen Kadish Sherbondy
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/08/122-backstory-of-poem-cousins-i-never.html
#123 Backstory of the Poem
“To Those Who Were Our First Gods”
by Nickole Brown
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/123-backstory-of-poem-to-those-who-were.html
#124 Backstory of the Poem
“Looking For Sunsets (In the Early Morning)”
by Paul Levinson
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/124-backstory-of-poem-looking-for.html
#125 Backstory of the Poem
“Tracy”
by Tiff Holland
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/125-backstory-of-poem-tracy-by-tiff.html
#126 Backstory of the Poem
“Legs”
by Cindy Hochman
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/126-backstory-of-poem-legs-by-cindy.html
#127 Backstory of the Poem
“Anathema”
by Natasha Saje
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/09/127-backstory-of-poem-anathema-by.html
#128 Backstory of the Poem
“How to Explain Fertility When an Acquaintance Asks Casually”
by Allison Blevins
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/128-backstory-of-poem-how-to-explain.html
#129 Backstory of the Poem
“The Art of Meditation In Tennessee”
by Linda Parsons
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/129-backstory-of-poem-art-of-meditation.html
#130 Backstory of the Poem
“Schooling High, In Beslan”
by Satabdi Saha
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/130-backstory-of-poem-schooling-high-in.html
#131 Backstory of the Poem
““Baby Jacob survives the Oso Landslide, 2014”
by Amie Zimmerman
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/131-backstory-of-poem-baby-jacob.html
#132 Backstory of the Poem
“Our Age of Anxiety”
by Henry Israeli
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/132-backstory-of-poem-our-age-of.html
#133 Backstory of the Poem
“Earth Cries; Heaven Smiles”
by Ken Allan Dronsfield
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/10/133-backstory-of-poem-earth-cries.html
#134 Backstory of the Poem
“Eons”
by Janine Canan
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/134-backstory-of-poem-eons-by-janine.html
#135 Backstory of the Poem
“Sworn”
by Catherine Zickgraf
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/135-backstory-of-poem-sworn-by.html
#136 Backstory of the Poem
“Bushwick Blue”
by Susana H. Case
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/136-backstory-of-poem-bushwick-blue-by.html
#137 Backstory of the Poem
“Then She Was Forever”
by Paula Persoleo
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/137-backstory-of-poem-then-she-was.html
#138 Backstory of the Poem
“Enough”
by Kris Bigalk
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/138-backstory-of-poem-enough-by-kris.html
#139 Backstory of the Poem
“From Ghosts of the Upper Floor”
by Tony Trigilio
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/139-backstory-of-poem-from-ghosts-of.html
#140 Backstory of the Poem
“Cloud Audience”
by Wanita Zumbrunnen
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/140-backstory-of-poem-cloud-audience-by.html
#141 Backstory of the Poem
“Condition Center”
by Matthew Freeman
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/11/141-backstory-of-poem-condition-center.html
#142 Backstory of the Poem
“Adventuresome Woman”
by Cheryl Suchors
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/142-backstory-of-poem-adventuresome.html
#143 Backstory of the Poem
“The Way Back”
by Robert Walicki
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/143-backstory-of-poem-way-back-by.html
#144 Backstory of the Poem
“If I Had Three Lives”
by Sarah Russell
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/144-backstory-of-poem-if-i-had-three.html
#145 Backstory of the Poem
“Reservoir”
by Andrea Rexilius
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2019/12/145-backstory-of-poem-reservoir-by.html
#146 Backstory of the Poem
“The Night Before Our Dog Died”
by Melissa Fite Johnson
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/146-backstory-of-poem-night-before-our.html
#147 Backstory of the Poem
“Pileated”
by David Anthony Sam
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/147-backstory-of-poem-pileated-by-david_14.html
#148 Backstory of the Poem
“A Kitchen Argument”
by Matthew Gwathmey
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/148-backstory-of-poem-kitchen-argument.html
#149 Backstory of the Poem
“Insulation”
by Bruce Kauffman
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/01/149-backstory-of-poem-insulation-by.html
#150 Backstory of the Poem
“I Will Tell You Where I’ve Been”
by Justin Hamm
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/150-backstory-of-poem-i-will-tell-you.html
#151 Backstory of the Poem
“Comfort”
by Michael A Griffith
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/151-backstory-of-poem-comfort-by.html
#152 Backstory of the Poem
“VAN GOGH TO HIS MISTRESS”
by Margo Taft Stever
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/152-backstory-of-poem-van-gogh-to-his.html
#153 Backstory of the Poem
“1. Girl”
by Margaret Manuel
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/153-backstory-of-poem-1-girl-by_12.html
#154 Backstory of the Poem
“Trading Places”
by Maria Chisolm
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/154-backstory-of-poem-trading-places.html
#155 Backstory of the Poem
“The Reoccurring Woman”
by Debra May
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/155-backstory-of-poem-reoccuring-woman.html
#156 Backstory of the Poem
“Word Falling”
by Sheryl St. Germain
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/156-backstory-of-poem-word-falling-by.html
#157 Backstory of the Poem
“Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup of 7,000 Jews Detained in an
Arena”
by Liz Marlow
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/02/157-backstory-of-poem-vel-dhiv-roundup.html
#158 Backstory of the Poem
“Why Otters Hold Hands”
by William Walsh
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/158-backstory-of-poem-why-otters-hold.html
#159 Backstory of the Poem
“The Invisible World”
by Rocco de Giacoma
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/159-backstory-of-poem-visible-world-by.html
#160 Backstory of the Poem
“Last Call”
by Ralph Culver
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/160-backstory-of-poem-last-call-by.html
#161 Backstory of the Poem
“ALIVE”
by David Dephy
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/161-backstory-of-poem-alive-by-david.html
#162 Backstory of the Poem
“Mare Nostrum”
by Janice D Soderling
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/162-backstory-of-poem-mare-nostrum-by.html
#163 Backstory of the Poem
“Winnipeg Noir”
by Carmelo Militano
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/03/163-backstory-of-poem-winnipeg-noir-by.html
#164 Backstory of the Poem
“Needlepoint Roses”
by Jason O’Toole
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/164-backstory-of-poem-needlepoint-roses.html
#165 Backstory of the Poem
“Singing, Studying on Whiteness, This Penelope Strings”
by Jeanne Larsen
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/165-backstory-of-poem-singing-studying.html
#166 Backstory of the Poem
“How To Befriend Uncertainty”
by Prartho Sereno
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/prartho-serenos-how-to-befriend.html
#167 Backstory of the Poem
“Shostakovich: Five Pieces”
by Pamela Uschuk
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/pamela-uschuks-shostakovich-five-pieces.html
#168 Backstory of the Poem
“Bouquet for Amy Clampitt”
by Peter Kline
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/04/peter-klines-bouquet-for-amy-clampitt.html
#169 Backstory of the Poem
“Heartbroken”
by Catherine Arra
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/catherine-arras-heartbroken-is-169-in.html
#170 Backstory of the Poem
“Silence – a lost art”
by Megha Sood
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/megha-soods-silence-lost-art-is-170-in.html
#171 Backstory of the Poem/ May 09, 2020
“Horribly Dull”
by Mark DeCharmes
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/mark-ducharmes-horribly-dull-is-171-in.html
#172 Backstory of the Poem/ May 12, 2020
“Celebrating His Ninety-Second Birthday the Year his Wife Died”
by Michael Mark
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/michael-marks-celebrating-his-ninety.html
#173 Backstory of the Poem/ May 14, 2020
“Night Clouds in the Black Hills”
by Cameron Morse
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/cameron-morses-night-clouds-in-black.html
#174 Backstory of the Poem/ May 18, 2020
“I’ve Been In Heaven For Long”
by Evanesced Dethroned Angel
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/evanesced-dethroned-angels-ive-been.html
#175 Backstory of the Poem/ May 20, 2020
“Tutti-Frutti”
by Barbara Crooker
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/barbara-crookers-tutti-frutti-175-in.html
#176 and #177 Backstory of the Poem/ May 25, 2020
“My Small World” and
“My Mistake”
by Tina Barry
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/05/tina-barrys-two-prose-poems-my-small.html
#178 Backstory of the Poem/ June 05, 2020
“Against Numbers”
by Andrea Potos
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/andrea-potoss-against-numbers-is-178-in.html
#179 Backstory of the Poem/ June 15, 2020
“Wish”
by Julie Weiss
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/julie-weisss-wish-is-179-in-never.html
#180 Backstory of the Poem/ June 20, 2020
“The Tree That Stood Beside Me”
by Carly My Loper
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/carly-m-lopers-tree-that-stood-beside.html
#181 Backstory of the Poem/ June 23, 2020
“Electric Mail”
by Julie E. Bloemeke
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/julie-e-bloemekes-electric-mail-is-181.html
#182 Backstory of the Poem
June 24, 2020
“Her First Ten Days”
by Julieta Corpus
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/julieta-corpuss-her-first-ten-days-is.html
#183 Backstory of the Poem
June 26, 2020
“Outside My House Is A Guava Tree”
by Dr. Ampat Varghese Koshy
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/06/dr-ampat-varghese-koshys-outside-my.html
#184 Backstory of the Poem
July 2, 2020
“Torpor”
by Victor Enns
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/victor-ennss-torpor-is-184-in-never.html
#185 Backstory of the Poem
July 5, 2020
“A Way of Life”
by Dan Provost
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/dan-provosts-way-of-life-is-185-in.html
#186 Backstory of the Poem
July 6, 2020
“The Alabama Wiregrassers”
by Charles Ghigna
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/charles-ghignas-alabama-wiregrassers-is.html
#187 Backstory of the Poem
July 7, 2020
“The Seer”
by Kathleen Winter
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/kathleen-winters-seer-is-187-in-never.html
#188 Backstory of the Poem
July 11, 2020
“Stuck At Home”
by Valerie Frost
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/valerie-frosts-stuck-at-home-is-188-in.html
#189 Backstory of the Poem
July 13, 2020
“Between the Earth and Sky”
by Eleanor Kedney
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/eleanor-kedneys-between-earth-and-sky.html
#190 Backstory of the Poem
July 14, 2020
““ΜΕΡΕΣ ΥΠΟΜΟΝΗΣ/ Days
of patience”
by Eftichia Kapardell’
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/eftichia-kapardells-days-of-patience-is.html
#191 Backstory of the Poem
July 15, 2020
“Threnody by the President for Victims of COVID-19, Beginning with a Line from Milosz”
by Ralph Culver
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/ralph-culvers-threnody-by-president-for.html
#192 Backstory of the Poem
July 16, 2020
“Will Be Done”
by Tom Hunley
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/mark-antony-rossis-vox-vigilante-is-192.html
#193 Backstory of the Poem
July 17, 2020
“The Love of Two Trees”
by Hussein Habasch
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/hussein-habaschs-love-of-two-trees-is.html
#194 Backstory of the Poem
July 18, 2020
“June Almeida”
by Lev RI Ardiansyah
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/lev-ri-ardiansyahs-june-almeida-is-194.html
#195 Backstory of the Poem
July 19. 2020
“After Grano Maturo”
by Matthew Gavin Frank
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/matthew-gavin-franks-after-grano-maturo.html
#196 Backstory of the Poem
July 20, 2020
“Practice”
by Linda Neal Reising
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/linda-neal-reisings-practice-is-196-in.html
#197 Backstory of the Poem
July 21, 2020
“Will Be Done”
by Tom C Hunley
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/tom-hunleys-will-be-done-is-197-in.html
#198 Backstory of the Poem
July 22, 2020
“Shroud”
by Ted Morrissey
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/ted-morrisseys-shroud-is-198-in-never.html
#199 Backstory of the Poem
July 23, 2020
“Being In Love at Fifty”
by Anne Walsh Donnelly
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/anne-walsh-donnellys-being-in-love-at.html
#200 Backstory of the Poem
July 25, 2020
“Star pinwheel poem”
by Andrea Watson
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/andrea-watsons-star-pinwheel-poem-is.html
#201 Backstory of the Poem
July 30, 2020
“Gentle Women, Adult Female Persons, and Housewives in Indonesia ♀”
by Kimberly Burnham
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/kimberly-burnhams-gentle-women-adult.html
#202 Backstory of the Poem
July 31, 2020
“192”
by Don Yorty
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/07/don-yortys-192-is-202-in-never-ending.html
#203 Backstory of the Poem
August 01, 2020
“I want to unfold the disease”
by Vanessa Shields
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/vanessa-shieldss-i-want-to-unfold.html
#204 Backstory of the Poem
August 06, 2020
“A Bone of Contention with the Ghost of John Lennon Over Strawberry Fields Forever”
by Ruth Weinstein
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/ruth-weinsteins-bone-of-contention-with.html
#205 Backstory of the Poem
August 07 2020
“Statement by the Pedestrian Liberation Organisation”
by Thomas McColl
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/thomas-mccolls-statement-by-pedestrian.html
#206 Backstory of the Poem
August 08 2020
“Un Poco Pequeño”
by Damon Chua
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/damon-chuas-un-poco-pequeno-is-206-in.html
#207 Backstory of the Poem
August 10, 2020
“mary lou williams’s piano workshop (after Fred Moten)”
by Makalani Bandele
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/makalani-bandeles-mary-lou-williamss.html
#208 Backstory of the Poem
August 18, 2020
“Roll Credits by KCK”
by Casey Kirkpatrick aka KCK
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/casey-kirkpatricks-roll-credits-by-kck.html
#209 Backstory of the Poem
August 21, 2020
“Ancient Pyramid”
by Mark Tulin
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/mark-tulins-ancient-pyramid-is-209-in.html
#210 Backstory of the Poem
August 23, 2020
“How Far the Storm?”
by Charles Malone
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/charles-malones-how-far-storm-is-210-in.html
#211 Backstory of the Poem
August 27, 2020
“89 Tears”
by Robert Carr
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/robert-carrs-89-tears-is-211-in-never.html
#212 Backstory of the Poem
August 28, 2020
“Food and Water”
by Brooke McNamara
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/brooke-mcnamaras-food-and-water-is-212.html
#213 Backstory of the Poem
August 30, 2020
“To hold, to hollow”
by Meghan Lamb
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/08/meghan-lambs-to-hold-to-hollow-is-213.html
#214 Backstory of the Poem
September 01, 2020
“Would It Be Too Much”
by Justine Quammie
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/09/justine-quammies-would-it-be-too-much.html
#215 Backstory of the Poem
September 15, 2020
“Darkest days. . .Loneliest nights”
by Aaron R
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/09/aaron-rs-darkest-days-loneliest-nights.html
#216 Backstory of the Poem
September 23, 2020
“About My Death”
by Jennifer Barber
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/09/jennifer-barbers-about-my-death-is-216.html
#217 Backstory of the Pome
October 09, 2020
“Leash of Deer”
by Catherine Graham
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/10/catherine-grahams-leash-of-deer-is-200.html
#218 Backstory of the Poem
October 11, 2020
“Sticky”
by Susan Tepper
http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/10/susan-teppers-sticky-is-218-in-never.html
#219 Backstory of the Poem
November 22, 2020
“Penguins”
by Volodymyr Bilyk
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/11/volodymyr-bilyks-penguins-is-219-in.html
#220 Backstory of the Poem
December 05, 2020
“the creature of bad habits”
by Erik Fuhrer
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/12/erik-fuhrers-creature-of-bad-habits-is.html
#221 Backstory of the Poem
December 17, 2020
“Amaterasu”
by Nan Lundeen
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/12/nan-lundeens-amaterasu-is-221-in-never.html
222 Backstory of the Poem
December 28, 2020
“Disclaimer”
by Randall McNair
https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/12/randall-mcnairs-disclaimer-is-222-in.html
Awesome poem... I am loving the new book so far and it has not let me down. It is following fast in the footsteps of "Dispatches" in becoming a classic in my collection! Keep writing!
ReplyDelete