September 2015
Poetrywatch
Two Poems
by Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor
Eric Lochridge is the author of three chapbooks of poetry: “Born-Again Death Wish” (Finishing Line Press, 2015), “Real Boy Blues” (Finishing Line Press, 2013), and “Father’s Curse” (FootHills Publishing, 2007). He lives in Bellingham.
“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
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 amd 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.
At Dawn I Stare Down a Raccoon from My Back Porch
by Eric Lochridge
The tallest fir behind my house
hides many dark abodes.
One morning a masked bandit
shuffled out onto a limb
There in the bronze light our eyes met.
The ancient hulk of shadow and needles
bowed him toward me, pushed by the lake
breeze.
A wisp of fog slipped between us.
When it cleared, he had gone.
I have not seen him since.
Trailing Blackberry
by Barbara Perry
Trailing?
Not Really.
You take the lead.
Small you crawl
Slithering Sliding Shooting
In and Out
Soil’s surface
Nudging others at their base.
Chased up a tree by a jealous husband
Your story goes
Your blood survives.
Sweet magnificence sought by
humans, bears, squirrels
Nesting site of swallows, tanagers, thrashers
Winter sustenance scavenged by
Deer and elk
Medicinal tea, you make people well.
Weed you?
The question of whether to pull you is
Asked of all of us interdependent beings:
Who deserves to live?
Barbara Perry, has lived in the Happy Valley neighborhood since 1973. She graduated from WWU in 1985, and has taught English composition and literature at Northwest Indian College, Whatcom Community College, WWU and University of Washington.