April was National Poetry month! So, in honor, enclosed is a poem by another poet I recently learned of whose work is just beautiful, Lisa Goett. Her poem, titled, “Ghost God” was published in Poetry East; Poetry, Translations, Art; Numbers 84 & 85. 

Not even the most ferocious heart

can call you into visibility

to bide with me for just one hour,

 

to reassure me as you need to,

the signs of the first days over.

Not even an abandoned child

 

standing at the apogee of affection,

calling from this valley of Furies and Woes,

or the song of the Phoenix who sings only in fire,

 

can force you here.

If the shaking of a fist could do so,

then I would rant to catch a glimpse of you

 

rising like the covey of quail

among the windrows

a column of umber flame,

 

returning to your Galilee,

grieving no one, wholly other and absorbed.

Perhaps those old martyrs,

already born in life to their radiant hour,

 

who asked to be roasted on the other side,

were but masters of flame,

resolutely attuned to some other task

 

given to the dead.

But to me, a child

waiting upon compassion’s leaven

 

to rise within me—

to relieve, relive—my liege,

you remain resolutely mute, not dead.

 

Beautiful. Poignant. Powerful. It’s wonderful finding new poets whose work resonates so strongly. One day I hope to have some of my own work published in Poetry East.

 

The search for an editor is still in progress with me now looking into small presses that accept unsolicited manuscripts. Reading back issues/published samples of these multiple presses is standard, but time consuming. All part of the submission process…

My goal is to have a solid list by the end of this month and query letters written soon after.