A Week In Substack Poetry #21

Join me in discovering 10 poems published on Substack from 9 June to June 15, 2025! As usual, we have a colorful ensemble of poetry!

Hey Friends! We have an exciting lineup again! Don't forget to ❤️ and share the poems that resonate with you! Your personal connection to the poems is what makes our community so engaging!

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"When All the Clocks Have Run Their Course, I Fear We'll Be Forgotten."

by Daniel Bishop

A timeless theme that is harder to come to peace with than the mere idea of death. The truth is we cannot hold onto hands and thoughts forever—but forever, they will be part of the universe and cannot be undone. It might be a small sliver of peace, but it means every moment and every hair is part of it all—forever.

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Anxiety

by Emma Steel

Anxiety is human, all too human. And I like the metaphor of a beach because we never know what kind of driftwood it will deliver unto our feet to contend with. It's not a thing one can master; anxiety requires constant discarding. Either of itself or what it aims at.

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The Dunce Song of PJ Frufrufrock 🔊

by Nik Hoffmann

This poem is a satirical, fragmented riff on T.S. Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,". It's a trip, and you should go the distance while listening to the author reading it! I think it captures the themes of the previous poems (and more) in its own way.

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Words over Wesley

by Casey Bolt

This is playful and full of the pride and joy only a new life can bring into this world. It makes me want to be a parent.

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Bouquet Beneath the Tower

by Sam Downey-Higgins

Living beneath the tower is a good metaphor for the modern world, which often moves away from nature and transforms our senses by the limits it creates for them. While it does not read as contemporary, this poem laments our lives in a way more and more people do. The question is how to deal with it under the oppressive shadow of the tower?

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The Signs Are There Before Us 🔊

by Mark Rico

Picking up the theme of living in the shadow, we also live in a world where we can choose to see and find beauty. Once captured, it will grow in us and fill us with joy and transcendental zest.

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For the Birds

by J. Tullius

The lovely piece is fun to read and comes with a twist and some depth. I won't spoil the fun for you—go get it!

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(a trifle)

by J.Z Schafer

I like this poem for the beauty it paints in pictures alone. It's allusions to art, history, and death. This is a piece to have a discussion about.

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The Morea

by Columba

Evoking Greece again and the fact that we, as humans, are relatively small, operating on small time scales. Still, even old stones erode, given enough of our lifespans.

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Three Haikus About Hate

by The Drafting Dreamer

I picked this up because it is a very current topic. The format of haikus really lends itself to something as blunt and straightforward as hate. At the same time, it's a delicate topic that's in safe hands.

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Last Weeks Newsletter

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Thank you!

If you know a talented poet (I might be you!) message me or comment the Substacks you want to see featured! If you have any other feedback, I’m happy to receive it too!