Poem, "When I Think Of My Childhood" published in Ibbetson 39

     This is what the poem is about, me at about the age of 16, 140 pounds. When I posted it on Facebook, some of the comments were,"Got ribs? Eat a cheeseburger!!! hahahahaha and oh, the skinny shaming. Of course I still think about this when I view my current stomach distention. 

     Here's the real deal: Thanks to Doug Holder, Harris Gardner, Lawrence Kessenich my poem is published along with these other great poets, found below, in Ibbetson 39. Upon acceptance, Harris wrote, ""When I Think Of My Childhood" is a poignant collection of childhood bruises, physical and psychological that create a lot of "scar tissue" for the man-child. When life hands you lemons... We can't always slake our thirst with lemonade. Nor can we always satisfy the hunger of emotional needs and self-esteem. "When I Think Of My Childhood" is a very vivid narrative; although very personal, almost painfully so, it has a certain universality in its appeal. Well-written, not a wasted word!" 

You can purchase it here for the inexpensive $10


The issue features:
Kathleen Spivak 
Jennifer Barber 
Kathleen Lentz 
Judy Katz-Levine DREAM 
Beatriz Alba Del Rio
Triona McMorrow 
Philip E. Burnham, Jr.
Triona McMorrow 
Rene Schwiesow 
Lyn Lifshin 
Danielle Legros-George 
Marge Piercy
Tim Kinsella 
Ted Kooser 
David Blair 
Fred Marchant 
Molly Mattfield Bennett 
William Harney
Timothy Gager
Bridget Seley-Galway
Richard Hoffman 
X. J. Kennedy 

Richard J. Fein 

Paul Hostovsky 

Tomas O’Leary 

Teisha Dawn Twomey 

Lawrence Kessenich 

Michael Brosnan 

Gary Rainford 

Alfred Nicol 

Simrin Tamhane 

Ed Meek

Lucy Holstedt

Brendan Galvin

Llyn Clague

Lainie Senechal

Daniel A. Harris

Susan Nisenbaum Becker

Richard J. Fein

INTERVIEW WITH PULITZER-PRIZE-WINNING NOVELIST PAUL HARDING.

Interviewed by Nicole Cadro

George Kalogeris

Tom Laughlin

Ruth Chad

Sandra Thaxter

Babara Claire Kasselmann

Harris Gardner

Zvi Sesling

Kirk Etherton

David Miller

Denise Provost

Ruth Smullin

Nina Rubenstein Alonso

Peter Fulton

Wendell Smith

Mary Buchinger

T. Michael Sullivan

Robert K. Johnson

Lisa D. Kaufman

Susan LaFortune

Joyce Wilson

My poem, "The Filth and The Fury", published today on Oddball

This poem features a dead relationship and accountability. Sometimes we have one, zero or both of these. "The Filth and The Fury" (as always, follow that link) If viewing on your phone, use the wide view as the lines are long and the normal view messes up the breaks

It's sort of like this, as described by William Faulkner in his wonderful book, which is where this poem's title comes from (alas sometimes we are too close to have a clue, not able to see the bigger picture):

Mr. Compson has a vague notion of family honor—something he passes on to Quentin—but is mired in his alcoholism and maintains a fatalistic belief that he cannot control the events that befall his family. Mrs. Compson is just as self-absorbed, wallowing in hypochondria and self-pity and remaining emotionally distant from her children. 

Thanks to Chad Parenteau and Jason Wright for accepting my poem into Oddball and the talented Glenn Bowie for his photograph.