Poetry and About Poetry

Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World by Jane Hirshfield My rating: 5 of 5 stars Jane Hirshfield doesn't just write some of the finest poetry being published at this moment, she is also a great explicator and celebrator of poems. In Ten Windows, she argues that since language has power and poetry is uniquely powerful language, poems can indeed change the world. I gave up on trying to write the world whole decades ago, but she still makes good points as she gives excellent readings of powerful poetry: "And by changing selves, one by one, art changes also the outer world that selves create and share." View all my reviews

Ten Windows: How Great Poems Transform the World by Jane Hirshfield My rating: 5 of 5 stars Jane Hirshfield doesn’t just write some of the finest poetry being published at this moment, she is also a great explicator and celebrator of poems. In Ten Windows, she argues that since language has power and poetry is uniquely powerful language, poems can indeed change the world. I gave up on trying to write the world whole decades ago, but she still makes good points as she gives excellent readings of powerful poetry: “And by changing selves, one by one, art changes also the outer world that selves create and share.” View all my reviews

My poem  “The Difficulty of Morning”  is live now on  Heron Tree . My thanks to the editors. 

My poem  "The Difficulty of Morning"  is live now on  Heron Tree . My thanks to the editors. 

My poem “The Difficulty of Morning” is live now on Heron Tree . My thanks to the editors.

The Write Place at the Write Time accepted my poem “Still Life: Old Man with Mockingbird” for this fall.  

The Write Place at the Write Time accepted my poem "Still Life: Old Man with Mockingbird" for this fall.  

My poem “ Remnant ” has been published in American Tanka .

My poem “ Remnant ” has been published in American Tanka .

My poem " Remnant " has been published in American Tanka .

The  Yellow Chair Review  has accepted my poem “The Alien in Meeting” for publication in its August online edition. This poem is from  my  unpublished collection “Stone Bird.”  Thus far in 2015, a total of  16 journals  have accepted  26 of my poems for publication.

The  Yellow Chair Review  has accepted my poem "The Alien in Meeting" for publication in its August online edition. This poem is from  my  unpublished collection "Stone Bird."  Thus far in 2015, a total of  16 journals  have accepted  26 of my poems for publication.

The Bacon Review has decided to publish my poem “Returning” in a future edition. #yam

The Bacon Review has decided to publish my poem “Returning” in a future edition.

The Bacon Review has decided to publish my poem "Returning" in a future edition.

After many centuries, this is still one of the best poems ever written: “Western Wind” (Anonymous) Western wind, when wilt thou blow, The small rain down can rain Christ, if my love were in my arms And I in my bed again! in Old English Westron wynde, when wyll thow blow the smalle rayne downe can rayne? Cryst yf my love were in my armys, And I yn my bed agayne!

After many centuries, this is still one of the best poems ever written: “Western Wind" (Anonymous) Western wind, when wilt thou blow, The small rain down can rain Christ, if my love were in my arms And I in my bed again! in Old English Westron wynde, when wyll thow blow the smalle rayne downe can rayne? Cryst yf my love were in my armys, And I yn my bed agayne!

Hyacinths from the Wreckage by Madeleine Beckman My rating: 5 of 5 stars In her latest collection, Madeleine Beckman weaves loss, memory, and quiet passion into poems that speak with clarity and simple eloquence: Now many deaths and miles away we’re still those girls, half-naked under the sprinkler in summer waiting for the Good Humor man. This is a nostalgia that wants to remember but not to stop living today in order to return to some past. The first section deals with the loss of her parents and by extension of her childhood. The second with the loss of past love. The third collects poems of place, foreign visits that come alive again in the memory of the words, but still occasionally ache that the moments and places are past as soon as they are written. The final section brings an extended coda to the collection and the theme of leaving place and person behind in the “wreckage” that remains as we live and experience our lives. pleasure was over laughter a word in ...

Hyacinths from the Wreckage by Madeleine Beckman My rating: 5 of 5 stars In her latest collection, Madeleine Beckman weaves loss, memory, and quiet passion into poems that speak with clarity and simple eloquence: Now many deaths and miles away we're still those girls, half-naked under the sprinkler in summer waiting for the Good Humor man. This is a nostalgia that wants to remember but not to stop living today in order to return to some past. The first section deals with the loss of her parents and by extension of her childhood. The second with the loss of past love. The third collects poems of place, foreign visits that come alive again in the memory of the words, but still occasionally ache that the moments and places are past as soon as they are written. The final section brings an extended coda to the collection and the theme of leaving place and person behind in the "wreckage" that remains as we live and experience our lives. pleasure was over laughte...

My poem “Moonscaped: For Buzz Aldrin” has been published in The Summerset Review Summer 2015 edition. Thank you, Joseph and Staff. http://www.summersetreview.org/15summer/sam.html

My poem "Moonscaped: For Buzz Aldrin" has been published in The Summerset Review Summer 2015 edition. Thank you, Joseph and Staff. http://www.summersetreview.org/15summer/sam.html

Empty Sink Publishing   has accepted two of my poems. “Anticipating a continuance” and “Chess Plays the Exile” will be published in August in their e-journal. 

Empty Sink Publishing   has accepted two of my poems. "Anticipating a continuance" and "Chess Plays the Exile" will be published in August in their e-journal. 

These Fragile Lilacs Poetry Journal  has accepted my poem “Threnody for a Lost Cat” for future publication. http://www.thesefragilelilacspoetry.com/

These Fragile Lilacs Poetry Journal  has accepted my poem "Threnody for a Lost Cat" for future publication. http://www.thesefragilelilacspoetry.com/

My poem “Flowing into the Adjacent Possible” is in the Spring issue of Scapegoat Review  http://www.scapegoatreview.com/spring-2015/david-anthony-sam

My poem "Flowing into the Adjacent Possible" is in the Spring issue of Scapegoat Review  http://www.scapegoatreview.com/spring-2015/david-anthony-sam

My poem “Stars, Drought, and Adam” is available now in On the Rusk Issue 7 https://ontherusk.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/on-the-rusk_7.pdf

My poem "Stars, Drought, and Adam" is available now in On the Rusk Issue 7 https://ontherusk.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/on-the-rusk_7.pdf

The Buddhist Poetry Review has published 3 of my poems: http://www.buddhistpoetryreview.com/v2-issue1/david-sam

The Buddhist Poetry Review has published 3 of my poems: http://www.buddhistpoetryreview.com/v2-issue1/david-sam