Issue 5
April 2023
Editors' Note—Issue 5
After a long, cold, wet winter for many of us, we are delighted to welcome you back to RockPaperPoem for some springtime poetry refreshment.
We are especially thrilled to publish more poetry than ever before in this issue: 24 poems from 20 marvelous poets! Gracing our pages with new work are returning contributors Lisa Higgs, Mercedes Lawry, Meg Muthupandiyan, and David B. Prather, who share their visions of beauty in chameleons, crocus, katydids, and more.
New to RPP in this issue: Mela Blust, with a haunting poem about swimming, Michelle Stoll, with a dreamlike rabbit meditation, Whitney Vale, with a Tucson reflection, and Sarah Browning with a blissful soliloquy—just a few of the many new contributors’ poems we think you will enjoy.
Not only is Issue 5 our largest, but the volume of submissions was the highest we have ever received. A huge “Thank you!” to all of you who continue to trust us with your work, and to our hundreds of loyal readers who visit us regularly. It is for you that we created this journal.
Enjoy an eventful summer of poetry, and circle back to RockPaperPoem for more new work this fall!
RPP Editors
Image Credits:
Early in the Day - “Sunrise Over Marsh in Big Stone County, MN’ Image Author: Eric C. Koronka/USFWS https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/5450740273
Bluestem - “Henry’s Bluestem’ ©2023 Deborah Goschy, All Rights Reserved
The Peppered Moths - Nick Goodrum Photography licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Peppered_moth_-_biston_betularia_%2842702615314%29.png/2048px-Peppered_moth_-_biston_betularia_%2842702615314%29.png
This Kind of Tired - Trees, Clouds, and Moonlight by Deborah Goschy, ©2023 All Rights Reserved.
Beautiful - Composite traffic light and crosswalk by Deborah Goschy - Traffic light https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1139549?utm_content=shareClip&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pxhere crosswalk https://pxhere.com/en/photo/69479?utm_content=shareClip&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pxhere
Sooner the Green - Purple Flower Buds in Field - Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license https://flickr.com/photos/93242958@N00/48966808522
https://www.pexels.com/photo/light-nature-flowers-purple-60511/
This Mine - Vintage shop, Ankara Kalesi, Turkey - Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license https://www.rawpixel.com/image/2328707/free-photo-image-bread-bakery-baking
Sourdough - McKinsey - Woman kneading sourdough in her kitchen during quarantinehttps://flickr.com/photos/93242958@N00/48966808522
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Natal_long-fingered_bats_%28Miniopterus_natalensis%29_in_flight_%2848966808522%29.jpg
Memorial Day - Door and Flags composite 480x360 by Deborah Goschy - Partially open door https://pixnio.com/media/close-up-door-brass-metal-glossy# US Flags https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1191114?utm_content=shareClip&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=pxhere
The Odds - “Odds’ illustration by Deborah Goschy, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
Seeing Music - “Seeing Music’ illustration by Deborah Goschy, ©2023 All Rights Reserved
Grief the Wandering Doe - https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1259211
Tallequah the Orca Once Carried her Dead Baby for Seventeen Days - “Orcas at Marineland’ by Paul Gorbould https://www.flickr.com/photos/gorbould/203522609/in/photostream/, License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/. No changes made to photograph.
Rabbitdream - Brandon Wiggins licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cottontail-rabbit-on-grass.jpg
Crows - Crow at Sunset composite by Deborah Goschy - Crow https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1624753 “Sunset’ by Deborah Goschy, ©2023 All Rights Reserved.
Grief Comes to Lunch at Tyger’s Café - https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-sitting-on-the-table-holding-a-fork-6603146/
most everyone we know is swimming - “Coasting’ - U.S. Government Image https://www.rawpixel.com/image/3577863/free-photo-image-athlete-camp-pendleton
The Clitoris Speaks - https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=17692&picture=white-orchid
Under Tucson’s Swirl of Stars, I See A Snake And Remember The Farm - Courtney Celley/USFWS https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest/37741563212
Something About Pond Water - "Blue water and Green Lily Pads" ©2023 Deborah Goschy, All Rights Reserved
What a Nest is - https://www.rawpixel.com/image/4032632/photo-image-background-bird-nature
Pocket - Pocket and Face Illustration Composite 480x360 by Deborah Goschy - “Denim Pocket Macro’ Image Author: ajay_suresh https://www.flickr.com/photos/ajay_suresh/49851869231
Katydid - https://pxhere.com/en/photo/634285
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