Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor
Poetry has a voice in our community, and the Whatcom Watch is adding to its chorus. You all love poetry, right? Well, here you go!
Subject matter is unlimited, but poetry featuring or specific to Whatcom County and issues addressed by Whatcom Watch (government, the environment and media) will likely get first preference.
Let’s try to keep it to around 25 lines; otherwise, we might have to edit your work to fit. Don’t make yourself unprintable!
Send poems and your short, two-to-three-sentence bios, as a word document attachment to: poetry@whatcomwatch.org
The deadline is the first day of the month.
Please understand that acceptance and final appearance of pieces are subject to space-constraints and editorial requirements. By submitting, authors give Whatcom Watch express permission for first-time publication rights in paper and electronic editions of current or future volumes of Whatcom Watch.
Willow Trees
by Winter Gariss
Wandering willows weep and wallow with wonder,
Idealistic breeze indigenous to the infamous trees.
Nature nurtures their nostalgic leaves while new
Trees become tied together throughout
Endless roots entangled under ebony earthen soil
Rounded rough bark reaches up and royal
Green leaves gallantly gleaming in the
Atmosphere. Almost aligned with the
Round radiant stars romantic in the night.
Icy and incapacitating beauty of
Snow softly slipping sideways in to the willow’s arms
So soundly sleeping, the world will stay.
____________________________
Winter Gariss has lived in Bellingham all seventeen years of his life. He is an extremely involved junior at Squalicum High School and always strives to improve his academics.
Wrong a Lot
by Timothy Pilgrim
Lake’s plenty deep, dive off the cliff.
She’s crazy about me. Those jeans
will fit. I’ll be there for her
if the going gets tough. No chance
it will rain, I know when to shut up.
I don’t need directions,
they adore me at work. I’ve studied
enough, no doubt I’ll be rich.
We have plenty of gas,
she doesn’t like gifts. Our love
will survive. We don’t need cash,
I’m sober, can drive. It’s just fine
to speed. I will never get caught.
I know she’ll call, she wouldn’t leave.
I won’t miss her at all.
______________________________
Timothy Pilgrim, emeritus associate professor of journalism at Western Washington University, has published over 300 poems. He is author of Mapping Water (Flying Trout Press, 2016). His work can be found at timothypilgrim.org. “Wrong a lot” was a Walk Award winner in the 2016 Sue Boynton Poetry Contest.
