Poetry Friday + “Voices”– New Zine + Adrienne Rich

The poem above and the spread below are both included in my New Zine: Voices, words & art, and is now available in my Etsy shop. The zine has 13 numbered pages plus the cover, and you can look for it in my books & catalogues section. A portion of the funds raised via the sales of this issue and future zines will be donated to Planned Parenthood. This first issue focuses on poetry (and art) I created from the online Facebook group, The 5th Annual February Daily Poem; started by the author and poet Laura Shovan. In our group poets were given the challenge of creating a daily poem taken from a current news article, and using 10 specific words incorporated into their poem.

 

For the month of March I am also featuring Women Poets, for Poetry Friday. I wanted to tie my poem to another political poem. The poem I’m sharing is by Adrienne Rich. You can read the rest of her poem at the poetry foundation.

What Kind of Times Are These

BY ADRIENNE RICH

There’s a place between two stands of trees where the grass grows uphill

and the old revolutionary road breaks off into shadows

near a meeting-house abandoned by the persecuted

who disappeared into those shadows.

I’ve walked there picking mushrooms at the edge of dread, but don’t be fooled

this isn’t a Russian poem, this is not somewhere else but here,

our country moving closer to its own truth and dread,

its own ways of making people disappear.

I won’t tell you where the place is, the dark mesh of the woods

meeting the unmarked strip of light—

ghost-ridden crossroads, leafmold paradise:

I know already who wants to buy it, sell it, make it disappear.

For more Poetry Friday poems visit: Robyn at Life on the Deckle Edge.