Ellen Austin-Li’s “To Recapture Faith” is #243 in the never-ending series called BACKSTORY OF THE POEM

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***Ellen Austin-Li’s “To Recapture Faith” is #243 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. 

Can you go through the step by step process of writing this poem from the moment the idea was first conceived in your brain until final form? The idea for this poem grew from the Thomas Merton (Below Left) quote I used as the epigraph: “There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.” 

In early October, I attended an online series, “Thomas Merton on Spirituality and Contemplation,” sponsored by The Interfaith Center at Miami University (Oxford, OH). 

https://www.oxfordinterfaithcenter.org/ 

I’ve long been interested in learning more about Merton since attending a few writing retreats at the Loretto Motherhouse in Kentucky, near the Gethsemani Abbey (Below Right), where Merton spent many years as a Trappist monk. 

https://www.lorettocommunity.org/about/motherhouse/ 

https://monks.org/ 

The beauty of Merton’s quote, taken from an essay in Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, is testimony to the inherent goodness and human interconnectedness that Merton witnessed while walking in downtown Louisville (there is a plaque on a street corner in Louisville inscribed with these words) (Below Left). I recognized Merton’s epiphany as a sentiment I once firmly believed. 

My poems are typically triggered by an image, seen or heard. My general process is to generate a handwritten rough draft, which I then transfer to the computer. Once on the computer, I shift lines and change diction, sometimes as I’m first typing it in. I’m trying to get better about keeping drafts, but this hasn’t been my default on the computer. When I keep drafts, I save them all in one document and label the document as such (e.g., this poem is labeled The Owl and the Hemlock 1/2/3). 

Where were you when you started to actually write this poem? And please describe in detail. As in almost every day of this pandemic, I drove to nearby Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum (in Cincinnati, OH) (Right) to compose this poem. The beauty and solitude of this cemetery inspire me.

https://www.springgrove.org/locations/spring-grove-cemetery-arboretum/ 

I parked on the edge of one of the cemetery roads that runs along a ridge—an elevation that affords a view of the rolling hills below, populated by the varied foliage of diverse new and old-growth trees. The sun shone that day, but I chose to stay in the car to write. I opened the windows to let in the fresh air. 

As always, I started writing in my notebook. I keep a lapboard in my car, so I have a convenient surface to write on. Every poem begins in pen, written in a wide-ruled composition book. Plenty of room to cross-out lines and change/ add words. (Above Left:  Ellen Austin-Li's writing space in her car where she wrote "To Recapture Faith" Credit and copyright by Ellen Austin-Li)

What month and year did you start writing this poem? I wrote the first draft of this poem on October 3rd, 2020. As mentioned earlier, the first seed was the Merton workshop. My original intention was to write a poem to expand on Merton’s gorgeous epiphany. The Muse had other ideas! The direction my draft took sprang from my pre-election anxiety. I was terrified about the upcoming November election and couldn’t imagine the possibility of living another four years under Trump. Sorry if I offend anyone with politics, but I do find this necessary to say, as this particular anxiety informed my poem. I simply could not understand the level of support for Trump—I still can’t—and it triggered this questioning about my fellow Americans, really my fellow humans. That so many choose to follow a leader who fosters hatred and division...this doesn’t happen just in the U.S., of course. So, you can see how this anxiety easily extends to losing faith in others. 

How many drafts of this poem did you write before going to the final? There are four evolutions of this poem, from handwritten first draft (Left) to the final published version. I’ve attached them for you to see. You’ll notice that my handwritten version is not a complete piece—I usually have a reasonably complete poem before transferring it to the computer. In this case, I remember thinking that it would be easier to tinker with the metaphors (which were changing by the moment) on a word processor.

Were there any lines in any of your rough drafts that were not in the final version? As my annotated computer versions show, my first title was “The Owl in the Hemlock.” I wasn’t sure this title would stay, but I initially liked the idea of a title that didn’t “tell” the reader what the poem was about. I’m currently a student in an MFA program (the Solstice Low-Residency MFA Program at Pine Manor College), so I included my first computer draft in one of my semester packets. 

https://www.pmc.edu/academics/departments-programs/english/ 

My faculty mentor suggested I change the title, as he said it “sounds too much like a nursery rhyme.” Ha! I had to laugh, as that’s certainly true! I’d like to think I would have come to this on my own, but who knows? That’s why trusted feedback from fellow poets, even if it’s not from someone who teaches poetry, is so important. Ultimately, I decided to use a title that “names” the poem. I don’t always choose this path, but this poem has more universality inherent in it than many of my other poems (I tend to write narrative poems)—I felt that naming the abstraction fit the poem.

The other lines lost in revision centered around a metaphor with which I struggled. I wanted to somehow convey to the reader that fear remains in my life but no longer overwhelms me. I wanted to represent this concept with imagery. Here are the lines: “In middle-age, fear has lessened like the spider/that once sent me running—now, I barely hesitate.” The feedback I received—and it was great feedback—was that this simile didn’t seem to fit with the other imagery in the poem. Once again, I had to look at the amount of imagery I had already employed in the first nine lines of stanza two. The spider simile seemed to cheapen the carefully chosen imagery in the preceding lines. I decided to write the lines directly, abstraction and all. Considering the balance of imagery and abstraction can be tricky, but I liked the results of this revision. It felt forced before—like I was trying too hard. (Above Right:  Ellen Austin-Li's writing space at home.  Credit and copyright by Ellen Austin-Li)

What do you want readers to take from this poem? I hope readers will be able to recognize their own moments when they have lost faith in humanity, whether caused by a large socio-cultural event (like the death of George Floyd) or a more personal betrayal. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Floyd 

I think we all experience these times. The challenge is finding a way forward. I don’t think we can shift consciousness, though, without first acknowledging a negative psychic state. I hope that everything I write in some way creates empathy. I’m quite vulnerable in this poem. When we show vulnerability, this creates a bridge with others. In essence, we are all vulnerable. 

Which part of the poem was the most emotional for you to write and why? It’s always emotional for me to recall how isolated I was when I drank. (I’m a recovering alcoholic). Those years took a lot away from my emotional development. The positive, though, is that I am now forced to live an honest life. I have to be aware of my fear and know where it comes from so that I can walk through it—otherwise, I’ll drink again. This way of living raises my level of consciousness and helps me (I think) write truthful poems. (Above Left:  Ellen Austin-Li at a poetry reading in December of 2019.  Copyright permission by Ellen Austin-Li.)

Has this poem been published before? Where? This poem was published by Indolent Books on Nov. 27th, 2020 in their post-election series “Transition: Poems in the Afterglow”: https://www.indolentbooks.com/transition-poems-in-the-afterglow-11-27-20-ellen-austin-li/?fbclid=IwAR1VGkrMCTlm7qhPxaG2lX4d0ZUSlrBBvLKzmwQ5mOyS6fAhzZ6H_hQrMbA

To Recapture Faith 

-There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around 

shining like the sun.

       -Thomas Merton

To reclaim even part of this vision

that has been wrenched from the center

of me, I must first let the light

reenter. To believe 

in our ability to heal, I must let go 

this consuming darkness. 

I have lost my faith in humanity.

Outside last night, I heard a Bard

owl perched in the hemlock 

accusing me, Et tu? Et tu? 

This woman once existed

who sought stars on full-moon nights, 

who chose cold air’s clarity 

over its chill, who was certain angels 

dwell and emerge from all people

as soon as they’re shown kindness. 

When younger, I wanted this 

shining world but pushed it away, 

afraid, isolated with the bottle.

In middle-age, I’ve dismantled fear

enough times, it no longer rules me.

Eyes open, everyone I see runs hollow.

Radiance seems a relic of my imagination.

Show me again, owl, how to catch

the glimmer in the underbrush.

Ellen Austin-Li is a poet published in Artemis, Thimble Literary Magazine, Writers Tribe Review, The Maine Review, The New Verse News, Memoir Mixtapes, Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel, Masque & Spectacle, Green Briar Review, Panoply, Anti-Heroin Chic, and other places. Her first chapbook, Firefly, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2019, and her second chapbook, Lockdown: Scenes From Early in the Pandemic, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in 2021. A recipient of the Martin B. Bernstein Fellowship in Poetry, she is an MFA in Poetry candidate at the Solstice Low-Residency MFA Program. Ellen lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two sons.

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 

#223 Backstory of the Poem

December 30, 2020

“Broken Rainbows”

by Steve Wheeler

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/12/steve-wheelers-broken-rainbows-is-223.html 

#224 Backstory of the Poem

December 31, 2020

“Elegy for Michael”

by Paul Nelson

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2020/12/paul-nelsons-elegy-for-michael-is-224.html 

#225 Backstory of the Poem

January 01, 2021

“No One Is Home”

by Katrina Lippolis

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/katrina-lippoliss-no-one-is-home-is-225.html 

#226 Backstory of the Poem

January 03, 2021

“Dream Truth”

by Rachael Ikins

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/rachael-ikinss-dream-truth-is-226-in.html  

#227 Backstory of the Poem

January 04, 2021

“Hologram”

by Lucille Lang Day

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/lucille-lang-days-hologram-is-227-in.html 

#228 Backstory of The Poem

January 08, 2021

“Transition”

by Bartholomew Rothrauff

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/bartholomew-rothrauffs-transition-is.html 

#229, 230, and 231 Backstory of the Poems

January 10, 2021

“Armed With Imagination”

“Overthrown”

“We Siblings Three”

by Randal Burd

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/randal-burds-armed-with-imagination-and.html 

#232 Backstory of the Poem

January 13, 2021

“Adventsmarkt in Wurzburg”

by Arthur Turfa

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/images-in-this-specific-piece-are.html 

#233 Backstory of the Poem

January 18, 2021

“Death of a Carousel”

by Richard Weiser

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/richard-weisers-death-of-carousel-is.html 

#234 Backstory of the Poem

January 19, 2021

“Moon Child”

by Carol Berg

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/carol-bergs-moon-child-is-234-in-never.html 

#235 Backstory of the Poem

January 20, 2021

“In That Good Time”

by Kyla Houbolt

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/kyla-houbolts-in-that-good-time-is-235.html 

#236 Backstory of the Poem

January 22, 2021

“Epilogue: 10 Years Later”

by Lannie Stabile

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/lannie-stabiles-epilogue-10-years-later.html 

#237 Backstory of the Poem

January 23, 2021

“Awards Season”

by Maija Haavisto

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/maija-haavistos-awards-season-is-237-in.html 

#238 Backstory of the Poem

January 24, 2021

“Scrap”

by Luanne Castle

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/luanne-castles-scrap-is-238-in-never.html 

#239 Backstory of the Poem

January 25, 2021

“Removal”

by Caroline Smith 

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/caroline-smiths-removal-is-239-in-never.html 

#240 Backstory of the Poem

January 26, 2021

“Rain Noir”

by Lucia Orellana

http://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/lucia-orellana-damacelas-rain-noir-is.html 

#241 Backstory of the Poem

January 27, 2021

“G the F Knows”

by Martha Silano

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/martha-silanos-g-f-knowsis-241-in-never.html 

#242 Backstory of the Poem

January 29, 2021

“Church”

by Stacy Boe Miller

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/stacy-boe-millers-church-is-242-in.html 

#243 Backstory of the Poem

January 30, 2021

“To Recapture Faith”

by Ellen Austin-Li

https://chrisricecooper.blogspot.com/2021/01/ellen-austin-lis-to-recapture-faith-is.html