My Bad Poetry

With a rescheduled guest, Dave and Aaron return to Aaron's own bad poems. Having been gifted an old box of stuff from home, Aaron has found poems that predate the Wolf Journal. Dave is slightly more sympathetic to a third grade Aaron's writing, but only slightly. Enjoy a quartet of poems from a single loose leaf lined paper. This episode was fun, but now it's done!

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.11: "The Quartet"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "Homework Machine" by Shel Silverstein

This week co-host's Dave and Aaron find themselves talking to a person working in the Twin Cities, who has never been to the Twin Cities. And if that isn't a riddle enough, they have to try and figure out his old poems! Adam Shaw brings poems from an old duct taped journal and when these three nerds aren't discussing LOTR's sword names, they are trying to make heads or tales of some moody rhymes that could use some work.

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.10: "Windowless Room, Taos Court, & Algebraic Hymn (w/Adam Shaw)"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "You're Not Even the Dirtbag" by Adam Shaw found in Rejection Letters.

Adam Shaw is the MFA director of Concordia University in St. Paul, living in Louisville, KY. He is the author of the novel The Jackels and has had works appear in Taco Bell Quarterly, The Daily Drunk, and beyond. One can also submit their works to Identity Theory where Adam is an assistance editor. Follow him @adamshaw502.

Podcast Email: [email protected]

After nearly two years of DMs to work out a time, the co-hosts of My Bad Poetry get to chat with Jenny Qi... and it was worth the wait! Jenny brings three poems from three distinct times in her life so one can see the progress of a writer from middle school to after college, and all the pit falls along the way. From personified cats to personified herons with a bull beast in between, this episode is a creature feature for the ages.

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.9 "The Seaman's Stray, Minotaur, & Almost (w/Jenny Qi)"

End Poem From A Real Poet: "⁠On the Anniversary of Death⁠" by Jenny Qi

Jenny Qi is a freelance writer and the author of ⁠Focal Point ⁠published through Steel Toe Books. She has a Ph.D. in Biomedical Science and writes about biotech, arts and crafts, and everything in between. You can follow her work through her ⁠website⁠.

Podcast Email: [email protected]

Jay Parr brings their tinkerings with poetry to the show, demonstrating the fun of self referencial poems. While none of them would be considered high art... they really aren't trying to be. A string of bad haiku's bring it home in this exploration in a proser playing with poetry. Also, Dave may have found his favorite poet... CW: The end poem deals with suicidal ideation.

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.8: "SONNET DCLXVII & Obfuscatory Exegesis (w Jay Parr)"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "Flat Spots" by Jay Parr found in Five Minutes Aug '23

Jay Parr is a teacher, writer, and has been almost everything under the sun. You can keep up with their work through ⁠their website⁠. Or follow them on the socials @crankypacifist.

Lasara Firefox Allen brings work from their April 30 in 30 project (30 poems written in 30 days). These hastily written poems may blow most of the stuff Aaron and Dave brings to the show out of the water in quality, nevertheless the saccharin and specificity within prevents the poems from their true potential. Aaron and Dave learn a lot about the art of writing consistently and looking for one's flow.

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.7: "HftRR & Dimestore Shaman (w/ Lasara Firefox Allen)"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "Shark Smile" by Lasara Firefox Allen

Lasara Firefox Allen is a writer and academic with a prolific amount of eclectic work! Their are a poet, Witch, social justice advocate, the genderqueer menopause coach and co-conspirator for our collective liberation. You can follow their work through their ⁠substack⁠ or on their socials @ LasaraFirefoxAllen and ⁠buy their books through Amazon⁠.

To say this experience was surreal would be... partially true? william erickson brings some bad poems from an old chapbook manuscript. Three poems confuse and bewilder Dave and Aaron, but Will's closing poem brings it all full circle with a perfect example of what the previous poems were trying to do!

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.6: "Hello Best Wishes, (w/william erickson)

End Poem from a Real Poet: "Field of Vision" by william erickson

william erickson has a book of poem out called "You Don't Have to Believe in the World" through April Gloaming. His poems can be found around the internet and you can keep up with him on his website: https://www.awkwardlypenned.com/. He is also the Editor of the new journal Not My Style found at https://www.notmy.style/.

Podcast Email: [email protected]

The co-hosts forgot to book a guest for this episode. Unfortunately that means Aaron had to dig for another failed poem in his life. This poem comes from an abandoned reflection written for a church worship service circa 2018-19. It was never shared and all rejoiced! (Except us who have to hear it now...)

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.5 "G-d"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "little prayer" by Danez Smith

Kellie Scott-Reed brings a whole lot of laughter and joy to the show, even when her poems were less than happy. An aversion to ernesty in her old poetry leads to some strange twists and turns of phrases, and Aaron and Dave enjoy every moment of the ride.

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.4: "Sunday 11:30 Monday Eternity & Oncology (w/ Kellie Scott-Reed)"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "Canidae" by Kellie Scott-Reed

Kellie Scott-Reed is the Assistant Editor-In-Chief of

Dave and Aaron return from a short break to interview a new guest! Conor aka C. M. Crockford brings some classic cringe and embarrassment with the readings of three uniquely bad poems from the scrap box. From a "faux woke" work to a poorly aged "ode" and all the way to failed song lyrics the hosts are taken on a journey through the work of a Conor in his early 20s.

My Bad Poetry Episode 6.3: "Stains, Upon Seeing A Photograph of Charles Bukowski (w/ C.M. Crockford)"

End Poem from a Real Poet: "Spam Love Poem" by C. M. Crockford

C. M. Crockford is a writer and editor from West Philadelphia. You can follow his work on his website cmcrockford.net His debut poetry book Birdsongs is now available for purchase!

Podcast Email: [email protected]