Poetic Insights
For those who are curious
Tag: prose
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BITS – Kate Lewington
i have a new prose/poem called BITS up at Foxglove Journal. This is one of the poems in my newest wip abt home, belonging & connection. It would mean a lot if you read it. You can read BITS at https://foxglovejournal.wordpress.com/
possessions now in boxes, supermarket bags and carrier bags, holdalls with busted zips
stains, stray hairs and the imprint of wooden legs
i lock in
next
finding new ways to adapt –
new way of getting places, shortcuts through rows of houses, new faces – neighbours, dog walkers and pub ownersame skyline, different angle to aspire from, building tops puncturing the blue –
spires as needles, moving in tandem on a machine –
threading a tapestry
as i fly by on my bicycle.
Kate Lewington is a writer/poet and blogger. She writes on the themes of belonging, loss, mental illness & hope. She is passionate about learning, social justice, food, music and comedy.
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No Fee List of Submission Calls
DEADLINE 27TH of June Theme Dystopia / ACCEPTS short stories, comment pieces and reviews
Analogies & Allegories Lit Mag
DEADLINE 30th of June Theme Transformation / ACCEPTS art, photography, poetry and prose
DEADLINE 6th of July Theme Road Trip / ACCEPTS poetry, prose
DEADLINE 7th of July PAYING / ACCEPTS Poetry
OPENS July 8th Theme Beginnings / ACCEPTS poetry, prose, flash fiction, creative non-fic
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No Fee Manuscript Submission Calls
Verve Poetry Press are accepting collection and pamphlet manuscripts from Sunday the 17th of May until Saturday on the 20th of June. There is no fee.
Wild Pressed Books are open for pamphlet length manuscripts of prose or poetry until the 30th of June. They do ask for you to purchase one of their titles before sending your work.
Broken Sleep Books are looking for full length poetry collections. There is no fee.
Platypus Press’ The Broken River Prize is an annual poetry book contest. The Closing Date is July 31st. There is no fee.
Marble poetry. Poetry pamphlets.
Nightingale and Sparrow. Full length manuscripts. Closes on the 17th of May.
The majority of these publishers do not have a reading fee, which is cool but if you can buy one of their books, it helps. Independent publishers do not get the backing that larger one’s do and book sales are important for them to move forward.
I think poetry and books make the world go round, so I don’t need much prompting in purchasing new reading material.
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Lunchtime Reviews Roundup. Poetry, Poetry, Poetry.
Blank Space
by Beth Bacon
Pixel Titles
author website // amazon (available on KU) // goodreads
Blank Space is a book similar to my own The Blank Page, in that Beth Bacon and I both explore the space in a book and its many possibilities. Blank Space follows the narration of a young child, encouraged to fill their journal in school, but struggles; the idea that the blank page does not necessarily need to be filled. It is a space to find rest. Blank Space uses its format very well. Using clear language, and colourful illustrations, whilst Blank Space is aimed at middle grade readers, I think there’s lots of appeal for older readers too.
Table for One
by Laura Ashley Laraque
Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
author website amazon (available on KU) goodreads
Table for One is a collection of poetry on love, and giving yourself to someone so fully that you neglect your own needs ‘I have come to learn that the more you allow people to eat at your table for one, the more you’ll starve and never survive’ the book begins with a couple of poems where love between narrator and this person develops. From there the narrator writes from a place of perspective, and lessons she learnt for the reader to take away. The narrator gives their thoughts from love on beauty, her own voice and strength, ‘her heart became lighter her confidence became stronger and she only had to do one thing she had to say NO’ The narrator uses a dining experience theme, to centre the poems chiming the emotions of pain, regret, anger. This is prose as much as it is poetry too. The poetry stuck to a rhyming form, but I felt that made some of the poems too rigid.
Searching for the Truth
by Maranda Russell
author website // amazon (available on KU) // goodreads
I enjoyed reading the thoughts of Miranda Russell in Searching for the Truth. Subjects covered were of of beliefs, forgiveness, injustice, nature, death, religion, our own personal journeys, amongst many more. Subjects I’m sure we have all had our thoughts on at some point, Maranda Russell has struck on universal truths. Life Without Art was a fantastic poem, posing the question what would life be without art? And the line ‘what would give us the courage to wake up each morning and face this dull, mediocre life?’ made me push a triumphant fist in the air. Seeking Truth was another such poem that I agreed with. As was Where you Should Be. Poems which give thought, or comfort. Searching for the Truth was a book I enjoyed immensely.
Mildew
‘Doubt is its own kind of mildew. You scrub and scrub to make it leave, only to turn your back –’
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Poetic Insights 