Poking Around

Featured poem: The Thing Is by Ellen Bass

Featured topics: Cryptocurrency, disgusting wine, the plain face of life, going commando, a wide variety of undie styles, the sentimentality of different clothes items, and the intimacy of living in a big city. 

Copyright Credit: Ellen Bass, “The Thing Is” from Mules of Love. Copyright © 2002 by Ellen Bass. Reprinted with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of BOA Editions Ltd.

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: The Things We Leave Behind Elise M. Powers. Featured topics: fire, drought, matrilineal lines, legacy, wombs, diabetes, and American Girl Dolls.

Poem read with permission from the author

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: To be a person by Amy Kay. Featured topics: The New York City Marathon, Heinz ketchup, the moon, hot dogs, and the glorious city of Chicago. 

Poem read with permission from the author

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: A Poet's Poem by Brenda Shaughnessy

Featured topics: eight definitions of the word fresh, Las Vegas slot machines, shitting your pants, peeing in the snow, being sick with nostalgia, Empanada Mama, cosmic karma, casinos, childhood summertime, and brothers.

Poem read with permission from the author

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: Dust by Dorianna Laux. Featured topics: childhood freedom, social norms, dream states, old friends, charging gems, and an original song by Hannah.

Dorianne Laux, “Dust” from What We Carry. Copyright © 1994 by Dorianne Laux. Reprinted by permission of BOA Editions, Ltd.

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: Reasons to Live by Ruth Awad. Featured topics: the afterlife, retirement, corporate gigs, fleeting crushes, stalking yourself on Instagram, Violent Velveeta, and the earth like a dog at the door.

Poem read with permission of the author.

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: Value Form by Brendan Joyce

Featured topics: a wasp attack, a poetry conference, capitalism, trains, mortgages, and the complicated and wondrous joys of sisterhood.

Poem read with permission from the author

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: Watching My Friend Pretend Her Heart Is Not Breaking by Rosemary Wahtola Trommer.

Featured topics: outer space, grief, collecting all the critters in our homes for banishment, olfactory time travel, ant hill black holes, and a childhood home.

Poem read with permission from the author.

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠

Featured poem: Let's Get Married by José Oliverez. Featured topics: the joyful occasion of a rained upon wedding, the mystery of love, napkin bonnets, rom coms, Freudian theory, the Department of Homeland Security, and an encore appearance of our favorite inspirational space: Newark Liberty International Airport.

Send us your poems inspired by our topics: [email protected]

New episode every Tuesday! Follow us @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠pokingaroundpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hannahmonsour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ + @⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠zoe.branch⁠⁠