Loose Words Letter #71
Holidays
Welcome to the weekly newsletter from Loose Words. These letters go out every Thursday and highlight many of our published poems from the past week. Loose Words is a poetry publication brought to you by Assemblage to capture disconnected thoughts and let them find their form.
“The holidays are a time of reflection, and I think it becomes really clear in people’s minds around this time of year what they want to get out of life, who they want to spend their life with, and what kind of person they want to be.” — Chris Sullivan
Each week, we will post a few lines from each featured poem (all friend links so anyone can read them) to give you a preview of the whole. We encourage you to read the full version by clicking in and taking that minute. A one-minute read could change your day.
Featured Poet
Each week we feature one of our contributing poets at Loose Words on our homepage and in this letter. This week it is Sarah E Sturgis. Sarah is a writer who wants to get her content out there to share with people. Writing is her emotional outlet.
Collection
Collections are groupings of poems with an overall theme. You can find Collections on the homepage underneath the Featured Poems, Notes From the Editor, and Featured Poet sections.
Holidays features 6 poems from 6 different poets from our archives. This section is a great way to get acquainted with multiple works around one theme, as well as to find poets you haven’t read before, or ones you shouldn’t miss.
Holidays features loose words from Sydney J. Shipp, Ioana Andrei, Jessica Lee McMillan, Jennifer Cowie King, Victoria Antonelli, and Sarah E Sturgis.
Selected Loose Words From Last Week
There Is Purpose In Stillness by Lark Morrigan
“I must take apart
everything that isn’t me
and learn to love
what is truly real,
without anything
standing in between me
and my reflection.”
In The Midst Of The Stars by Mary Jones
“Seeking death to see my mother again,
and to finally end all the long fingernails that scratch
the inside of my mind?
I wonder if heaven will be paradise if
She’s not there”
“basically bones, but so saturated with grief
that I sank back into the mattress, pulling the covers
over my head like the gravity of the life I was under,”
Far Away by Madeleine Anne Bognar
“I have racked up a debt.
Thought you would help me pay it.
But you are slow to the uptake.
Blackberries stain my fingers,
I am picking through bushes again.
Far away, in my mind.”
“The seasons of my life
pass intermittently
as the colors change
and the ice melts,
leaving me standing
in a puddle of self”
“Our many different cultures notwithstanding, there’s something about the holidays that makes the planet communal. Even nations that do not celebrate Christmas can’t help but be caught up in the collective spirit of their neighbors, as twinkling lights dot the landscape and carols fill the air. It’s an inspiring time of the year.” — Marlo Thomas
What inspiration can you bring to this holiday season?
