Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor
“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — John F. Kennedy
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Fear of missing out
by Timothy Pilgrim
or, FOMO, as some would text,
has little to do with differences,
say, between prophet — knowing
the end is near — and profit
gained from a lottery win
just before the denouement.
It’s more a powerful form of worry —
perhaps about being cuckolded
or some less severe heart-panged slight.
Akin to extreme anxiety felt
over who may be coming first — or what.
But certainly not powerful enough
to prompt any sane person to leave
a perfectly good life at halftime.
Timothy Pilgrim, emeritus associate professor of journalism at Western Washington University, is the author of “Seduced by metaphor: Timothy Pilgrim collected published poems” (Cairn Shadow Press, 2021). His work can be found at timothypilgrim.org.
This poem was first published in the Tipton Poetry Journal.
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Same Time, Same Place
by Margaret Wild
As the early morning traffic
Begins to fill the streets
And the sun brings light to the sky,
A gentle gust of wind winds its way
Around the corner of my tall apartment building.
By the time I sit down for breakfast
5 to 7 seagulls start to ride the wind
Hugging the corner of the building
Where I sit.
I am spellbound by their graceful gliding
So close to the corner of tall windows
Where I can catch a close look into
Their curious eyes, looking back at me.
Then they take off to make large
Circles farther away, flying freestyle.
Eventually they disappear for the day
Only to return the following morning:
Same time, same place.
Margaret Wild has been a lifelong fan of nature and is known as an advocate for healthcare reform. Her poems reflect her concern for the well-being of our changing environment.
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Do you enjoy PoetryWatch?
Want to see it continue? Let the Whatcom Watch share your poetry with our readership! Seriously, we really do want your poems. Please keep them to roughly 25-lines, though length is by no means a deal-breaker; it’s how you use those lines.. 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. Send your poems and your short, two- or three-sentence bio as a word document attachment to: poetry@whatcomwatch.org and let’s make magic happen. 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 permission for one-time publication rights in the paper and electronic editions.
