Honored that two poems of mine published in Tao Journal of International Poetry and Art-one reflects upon Alton Sterling

Today's Quiz

Question:

What is the Tao Journal of International Poetry and Art?














a) A town in New Mexico




b) (in Chinese philosophy) the absolute principle underlying the universe, combining within itself the principles of yin and yang and signifying the way, or code of behavior, that is in harmony with the natural order.

c) An international and beautiful journal with writers within this current issue hailing from  California, Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming; internationally from Albania, British Columbia (Canada), Crete (Greece), Mexico, and Minna, Niger State, Nigeria.
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Answer:

If you answered c, then you would see a great line-up of poets, writers and artists. Excited that two of my poems "Loose Flowers" and "Throw Certainty Out in the Air like a Lasso" made the cut.

a is wrong, but the editors come from that town.

b is cool, but wrong.
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Now the story behind the poems


"Loose Flowers" is a poem reflecting on the fading luster of something new...the breath turns sour, the walk becomes longer.

"Throw Certainty Out in the Air like a Lasso" reflections on Alton Sterling.

is a reflection by a Caucasian poet on the atrocity of the shooting of a Black man, Alton Sterling  by the hands of the Baton Rouge Police Dept. The graphic video below is for your own horror closet..



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For the rest, I commend the participants chosen by Cathy Strisik, Veronica Golos, and William Barnes, lifted from their introduction for this issue:

This outstanding issue includes poets Anya Achtenberg, Rachel Blum, John Brandi, Lynne Burnett, Stephen Dunn, Saddiq Dzukogi, Jennifer Foerster, CMarie Fuhrman, Khédija Gadhoum, Timothy Gager, Ani Gjika, Julia Gjika, Aaron Graham, Renée Gregorio, Phyllis Hotch, Rosa Jamali, Sarah Kafatou, Ariana Kramer, Mike Lewis-Beck, Juan Morales, Robert Okaji, Natalia Treviño, Ian Randall Wilson, and Erika Wurth.

In our Book Review & Essay section, you’ll find two essays written by William Barnes and Leslie Ullman.

In our Art section, Sasha Raphael vom Dorp honors Taos Journal of International Poetry & Art with his creative, Sound Bending Light series, photographs of sound encountering light as seen through the medium of water.

Each editor has recently published a book with 3: A Taos Press. According to the press, The Mistress, by Catherine Strisik , Rootwork, by Veronica Golos, and The Ledgerbook, by William Barnes (who recently joined TJOP as Essay & Book Review Editor), “illuminate history, both universal and private, reaching for the highest level of art, both in the poetry and book design. 3: A Taos Press remains true to the beauty of the word and the beauty of the work.” Issue Nine highlights these books and Library of Small Happiness by Leslie Ullman. (www.3taospress.com)