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Past Issues


Whatcom Watch Online
Two Poems


September 2015

Poetrywatch

Two Poems

by Boris Schleinkofer, poetrywatch editor

Eric Lochridge is the author of three chapbooks of poetry: “Born-Again Death Wish” (Finishing Line Press, 2015), “Real Boy Blues” (Finishing Line Press, 2013), and “Father’s Curse” (FootHills Publishing, 2007). He lives in Bellingham.

“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — John F. Kennedy

Poetry has a voice in our community, and the Whatcom Watch is adding to its chorus. You all love poetry, right? Well, here you go!

Subject matter is unlimited, but poetry featuring or specific to Whatcom County and issues addressed by Whatcom Watch (government, the environment and media) will likely get first preference.

Let’s try to keep it to around 25 lines; otherwise, we might have to edit your work to fit. Don’t make yourself unprintable!

Send poems and your short, two-to-three-sentence bios, as a word document attachment to: poetry@whatcomwatch.org

The deadline is the first day of the month.

Please understand that acceptance and final appearance of pieces are subject to space-constraints amd editorial requirements. By submitting, authors give Whatcom Watch express permission for first-time publication rights in paper and electronic editions of current or future volumes of Whatcom Watch.

At Dawn I Stare Down a Raccoon from My Back Porch

by Eric Lochridge

The tallest fir behind my house

hides many dark abodes.

One morning a masked bandit

shuffled out onto a limb

There in the bronze light our eyes met.

The ancient hulk of shadow and needles

bowed him toward me, pushed by the lake

breeze.

A wisp of fog slipped between us.

When it cleared, he had gone.

I have not seen him since.

Trailing Blackberry

by Barbara Perry

Trailing?

Not Really.

You take the lead.

Small you crawl

Slithering Sliding Shooting

In and Out

Soil’s surface

Nudging others at their base.

Chased up a tree by a jealous husband

Your story goes

Your blood survives.

Sweet magnificence sought by

humans, bears, squirrels

Nesting site of swallows, tanagers, thrashers

Winter sustenance scavenged by

Deer and elk

Medicinal tea, you make people well.

Weed you?

The question of whether to pull you is

Asked of all of us interdependent beings:

Who deserves to live?

Barbara Perry, has lived in the Happy Valley neighborhood since 1973. She graduated from WWU in 1985, and has taught English composition and literature at Northwest Indian College, Whatcom Community College, WWU and University of Washington.


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