Two Poems from Sesquipedalian Rain Chant

Pre-Order Ink & Ribbon's Debut Book

Our debut poetry book from poet Brooks Lampe is available June 14, direct from our website.

Pre Order »HERE«

For anyone pre-ordering you can now get this for $18.95 (vs. $24.95 when released). We only are printing 250 special editions of this wonderful collection.

But for now, we wanted to share two wonderful poems from Sesquipedalian Rain Chant.

Sappho

			Come, Sappho,
with wings darting through air 
toward crumbling mass of rock and water 
we call Sky. “Do for me whatever I desire.” 
What a wish! So long ago imagined,
seed of the world speaking wisdom.
Next spring a feeling comes, born of opposites: 
cold sweat, thin fire.
	All of us have felt it. That’s why we know 
Sirach’s right: A soul heated by a fire 
will not be quenched until it’s consumed.
Lovers won’t rest till the end of the world, 
starlight reaching for the boundless
in rays that never return. You, Sappho, 
range the halls, your life force circling 
toward dust. Kingdoms make war
and husbands return, but you’re off
exploring planets’ tender glow. Begin now 
with me on a rainy day like this 
at autumn’s door.

---

Silver Morning Drizzle Song

Tu Fu remembers his friends at night
and I watch swallows dog fight 
in the grass 
			images impossible 
until they’re written in the heart  

all I ever see are boxes I haven’t put away
recall letters warning my car 
is bad to drive
a new sheen of rain gloss on the table out back 

nothing to hide Oregon in wet March 
spate for earth to glug
your neverending thirst a psalm 
to spoon into our hollows
smell of midden carbon basalt tinged
		
one wren waits for intermission 
to pour cinders out to gunmetal sky 

I amass these days smutched and blotted 
before senses dim 	and spirit twists free

---

In other news, The LemonLight Prize with its $3,000 prize fund is now open for submissions! We look forward to reading your work.

» Submit Your Entries to The LemonLight Prize here«