Feb 23, 2017 | Acrostic, Gus Stevens, Humor, Italian Sonnet, Sonnet
A crostics, the poems assigned to school C hildren because they don’t yet know how to R hyme or count syllables—the teachers tool O nce they’ve learned their letters and the first few S ounds that blend together to make up words. T imothy begins with the...
Jan 18, 2017 | Italian Sonnet, Sonnet, The Work of Greater Minds
The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Why do men then now...
Jan 9, 2017 | Grief, Italian Sonnet, Sonnet, The Work of Greater Minds
In dim green depths rot ingot-laden ships; And gold doubloons, that from the drowned hand fell, Lie nestled in the ocean-flower’s bell With love’s old gifts, once kissed by long-drowned lips; And round some wrought gold cup the sea-grass whips, And hides lost pearls,...
Dec 31, 2016 | Aging, Italian Sonnet, Sonnet, The Work of Greater Minds
Youth gone, and beauty gone if ever there Dwelt beauty in so poor a face as this; Youth gone and beauty, what remains of bliss? I will not bind fresh roses in my hair, To shame a cheek at best but little fair,– Leave youth his roses, who can bear a thorn,–...
Dec 27, 2016 | Advent, Gus Stevens, Italian Sonnet, Mom, Sonnet
A mother’s delight and child’s torment: all those gifts beneath the glittering tree. On Christmas Eve, a singular present, always the smallest, she’d let us tear free from its bright paper. The rest must remain secrets for one more sleep: still a...
Oct 11, 2016 | Erotic, Italian Sonnet, Love, Sonnet, The Work of Greater Minds
Lying asleep between the strokes of night I saw my love lean over my sad bed, Pale as the duskiest lily’s leaf or head, Smooth-skinned and dark, with bare throat made to bite, Too wan for blushing and too warm for white, But...
