There is something about a Monday.
Listening to the radio
Buzzing, gently.
The silence of Sunday, chilling like
A freezing New England winter.
There is something about listening to 9th
In the morning, waking up, yawning
Got a coffee cup and I’m smiling.
It’s a beautiful day in New England,
Listening to 9th in the morning,
Simply sipping a cup of coffee.
Writing.
Jason Wright is the editor and founder of Oddball Magazine. His column appears weekly.
Full Moon Madness
The people cast their ballots
but the politicians cast the spells
What The Therapists Don’t Say
Anxiety doesn’t float
it isn’t free
it lands and implodes from inside
Janet Cormier is a painter, writes prose and poetry, and performs comedy. JC prefers different and original over pretty. She loves collecting stuff, but cleaning not so much. Janet also talks to strangers… a lot. Her column now appears weekly on Oddball Magazine.
Too Much Noise to Meditate
the voices in my head,
fragment of poems, songs, speeches and jokes,
memories of movie and tv lines,
lovers’ promises, music lyrics, prayers,
my cries for those lost,
God’s words to me,
my words to God,
and cheers for my guardian angel
because I ain’t easy
Classrooms
They say
Those who don’t know, teach
But more often than not,
Those who don’t know
Just use big word s and don’t take questions
Janet Cormier is a painter, writes prose and poetry, and performs comedy. JC prefers different and original over pretty. She loves collecting stuff, but cleaning not so much. Janet also talks to strangers… a lot. Her column now appears weekly on Oddball Magazine.
Oddball Magazine accepts submissions all year round, but we’re especially looking for Halloween/horror based poems. We have updated our Submittable page to make it as easy to submit as possible. Please send us work by 3:00 a.m. October 28. We look forward to you scaring us!
Closing Time
I leave some paper on the bar.
Thank my Host for a pretty good time.
All work for Him, I know.
I pretend we are on good terms,
nonetheless.
Most of my fellow revelers have left.
I don’t know where they go
when they are not here.
Doesn’t much matter, I suppose.
Tonight, the home team has staged an upset
against all the bookmakers’ odds.
A rebound from last week’s crushing defeat.
I collect my winnings, buy Jack Daniels all around.
This earns me a dance and squeeze
from that pretty young thing
who drops by every now and again.
She has the good sense to leave early though.
I’m ruddy. The game is in the books.
A bit of pinch and tickle.
I’m old enough to know
this is as good as it gets.
The Man gives me that look now.
Like it’s time to close up shop.
Outside, I find I still have scrip in my pocket.
I wish I had left it all on the bar.
Phillip Larrea is the author of We the People(Cold River Press) and Our Patch (Writing Knights Press). Since 2012, his poems have appeared in over 70 journals, anthologies and magazines in the U.S., Ireland, Canada and Asia. He is the winner of the 2013 New Frontier Prize for poetry, and has been nominated twice for the 2014 Pushcart Prize.
Come to Our Panel at The 2014 Massachusetts Poetry Festival
Stone Soup Presents Oddball Magazine
Friday, May 2, 2014, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Hawthorne Hotel, Sophia Room
Salem Massachusetts
In 2013, the long-running Stone Soup poetry series joined forces with an eclectic poetry journal to provide voices to various uncollected voices and gather them under one supportive banner. The journal has since expanded to include regular columns and features that help to support and promote Stone Soup and other artistic efforts in the Boston area and beyond. Please join us for a reading from Oddball’s most noted and regular contributors, including former Cambridge Poet Populist Toni Bee, Stone Soup host and organizer Chad Parenteau, and Oddball Magazine founder Jason Wright.
Keep visiting the Massachusetts Poetry Festival website for more information on this event and others.
