Zbigniew Herbert Take away the pen now there’s just thought where once ink and metal a tool to write nothing There is no hand to hold the pen there are no words to materialize and say ‘I want’ or ‘look’ or ‘come to me’ All the time in the world takes refuge […]
Grace Marie Grafton
Grace Marie Grafton’s poetry received first prize in the Bellingham Review contest and Nob Hill PEN Chapter, San Francisco. Her poems were a finalist for NIMROD’s Pablo Neruda Prize, and have twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Her collection, ZERO, won the Poetic Matrix Press chapbook contest. Her book, VISITING SISTERS, published by Coracle Books, consists of poems inspired by the artwork of contemporary women. She has taught for many years in the California Poets In The Schools program. For her teaching work, she has received numerous California Arts Council Artist In Residence grants. In 1998, she was named Teacher of the Year by the annual River Of Words youth poetry and art contest, co-sponsored by Robert Hass, former US Poet Laureate. She was born and raised on a grape farm near Reedley, in California’s central valley. She earned a BA from UC Berkeley and an MA from New York University, Manhattan. She lives in Oakland, California.
Summer Air
The impulse to remove all clothing, become congruent with landscape, willow tree innocent of guile or: it never has to think, “Are these ruffles fashionable? Is my collar too stiff? Oh me, the matrons are passing, do they gaze at me or ignore?” […]
October 6 (in a pretty good year)
Sometimes I’m of two minds. This poem expresses that. Each calendar day, I’m given the opportunity to choose despair or beauty. The music slows, signaling the end of song heart-beat dance-step someone laughs you think ‘it’s not so bad’ but you feel as though maybe you missed the message You might […]