Here’s your recap of this week’s poems plus one new poem to carry us into the week ahead.

Dec 15 - The Keeper’s Dream by Kiki Johnson @kiki_poetry on Instagram

Dec 16 - The Belle Of Yule by Melani Udaeta @melrose_poetry18 on Instagram. Her book, Of Love and Music, is out now.

Dec 17 - Clava Cairns by Jessica Aure Pratt @jessaure.poetry on Instagram. @jessaurepoetry on Substack. You can listen to me read Into the Abyss by Jessica on Instagram @rembrandts.cure.

Dec 18 - The Art of Returning by Dr. Deepak Dev @deeepak.devv on Instagram. @drdeepakdev on Substack. His book, Symphony of the Erased - Verses Resurged & Reclaimed, is out now.

Dec 19 - Angels In Our Mouths by Sandra Beth Levy @slevy43 on Instagram. Her first poetry book, Unfurling The Scroll Of Seven Decades, will be out in 2026.. Sandra has had recent poems published in the Roots and Ruins: Poetry Anthology published by Arcana Poetry Press. And Issue 1 of A Curious Moon, an online literary magazine. As well as The Vagabond’s Verse-Weekly Verses on December 5th. And three poems in a SHINE Poetry Series spotlight on December 10th.

Dec 20 - Still Light Unveils by Marissa M. Zhu @marissazhu on Instagram. @marissamzhu on Substack where she publishes The Wanting: A literary exploration of desire as generative force—neither absence to cure nor state to transcend. Love notes to the hunger that never resolves, only transforms. Her debut poetry manuscript, Memories We’ve Never Made, blends cinematic lyricism with psychological precision. In this 30-piece collection, Marissa examines how even unrealized loves can leave indelible imprints.

Dec 21

But For A Sacred DeerMaggie DeversThey come like rabid dogsBaying for blood And fling tired tropesInto the airLike drums beating A dead horse
And it’s simpleHow we tear ourselves to piecesFor the sake of a few bad apples,How we let the loudest voices take holdTo find a scapegoatAnd spill,and spill,and spill the blood
In hope for winds to comeAnd free us from this horrid placeNever questioning where the gale leadsOr what we’ll find when we get there.

More from Maggie Devers ↓

• Read my debut poetry book, For My Daughter
• Follow me on Instagram for more poetry @rembrandts.cure