Loose Words Letter #77
There is Life
Welcome to the newsletter from Loose Words. These letters used to go out every Thursday to highlight many of our published poems from the week prior. We took a long break and then returned, but our output has been spotty at best. But for the first month in a long time, total submissions are back up. Loose Words is a poetry publication brought to you by Assemblage to capture disconnected thoughts and let them find their form.
“I keep sailing on in this middle passage. I am sailing into the wind and the dark. But I am doing my best to keep my boat steady and my sails full.” — Arthur Ashe
When we do send out our newsletters, we 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.
We Are Back Open For Submissions
Please be sure to read the entire post below if you want to submit poetry to Loose Words. It is imperative that you do. We will know if you don’t. Click the link below or click Submit on our homepage if you think you would be a good fit and have been writing on Medium for long enough to understand what it is.
We also want our wonderful group of contributors to come back. We don’t care what Medium is or isn’t anymore, we just want to nurture this collective.
2022–2023 Loose Words Submission Guidelines
Featured Poets and Collections Are Coming Back
One of the things we used to do was to have a featured poet and collection in every newsletter. This is coming back soon. Stay tuned. Each newsletter we feature one of our contributing poets at Loose Words on our homepage and in this letter. Collections are groupings of poems with an overall theme. You will find Collections on the homepage underneath the Featured Poems, Notes From the Editor, and Featured Poet sections.
We just need more of our unbelievable poets back on the site so we can ramp up some features again.
Selected Loose Words From July, 2023
“If you are confused about boundaries
it’s likely because you don’t have any
and that is why you are unprotected
in the wild of everyday life
allowing others to suck your blood
and sap your energy”
Sands of Lost Time by Lark Morrigan
“there is peace
in embracing who I am
when I pale in comparison
to every shiny surface
and every grain
of golden sand — “
“To not be seen
is like dying a
living death,
thrown into a
pot along with
other morsels
to be eaten by
an indiscriminate,
uncaring mouth,”
Trusting the Tide by Victoria Antonelli
“So here I am
The space where timelines converge
Open to all that awaits me
Stomping on every obstacle
Discovering the relief in
Choosing myself”
I am not a what by Uṇṇi Nambia̅r
“You are an I too
Together we are a we
A we who is the true I
The I that is you
And the I that is I”
Highlighted Past Poem
“Your tired soul wants nothing more
than to settle like a fallen leaf
into the frost-covered stillness.”
