Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.
BC
Bill Cushing
Member since June 5, 2023
Member for 3 years
member
3
Poems
9
Comments
1
Follower
Most recent
Souvenirs
Waiting on the promised end times,
the erosion of age absorbs
but does not erase the remains.
They are out there all around us:
Skulls piled high by centurions;
blackened bodies, impressions
scorched into earth by flame throwers
of the Great War. Then,
glazed eyes gaze at the world from those
draped in aprons of skin and thrown
in wooden wagons like human
debris by soldiers of the Reich;
and wretched blood retched on sand
from biological weapons.
Read the rest of the poem Show less
Feeling feral charm, men with clenched
fists and clenched minds descend
into woeful revenge, and passion
waxes as we join the westering sun,
and the heat of living flashes
and fades into desolation.
Bill Cushing’s timeline
- June 2024
-
05 WedAnniversary
One year of membership
- August 2023
-
02 WedNew follower
@Lavender
- June 2023
-
30 Fri
-
30 Fri
-
09 FriReceived a critique
on Souvenirs from @Alex Tanner
"If you are happy with what you have done, leave it. it was only my opinion, others may not agree. Alex" -
09 FriReceived a critique
on Souvenirs from @Alex Tanner
"I felt this a powerful piece of prose. From my own personal feelings i would slash it to give greater prominence to the descriptive power. for example, Skulls piled high by centurions; blackened bodies, impressions scor…" -
08 Thu
-
07 Wed
-
07 WedReceived a critique
on With Dad from @Tigger Kaz
"A lovely tribute to your dad. Such emotive words. I am sure your dad is proudly looking down on you." -
07 WedCritiqued
"What We Do To Each Other" by @Lavender
"Two things stand out to me. . . First, the religious structure that harkens to either a prayer or the call-and-response nature of services. Second, the use of "we" is a sort of entendre in that it could a specific coupl…" -
07 Wed
-
07 WedCritiqued
"What We Do To Each Other" by @Lavender
"What could have easily passed as standard ascends that category by presenting a "prayer" of sorts here. Nice." -
07 Wed
-
06 Tue
-
06 Tue
-
06 TueReceived a critique
on VILLANELLE SANS LIBERTÉ from @Lavender
"Hello, Bill, I believe this is your first post here? Welcome! I read your profile and can see you that your writing skills are keen. Your villanelle shows the determination and work needed to get it just right. The rhym…" -
06 TueCritiqued
"moisture of ghosts" by @Jenifer James
"First of all, I really enjoyed this, but then again, I am deep into a collection of critical essays on W S Merwin; your piece reminds me of his work and theme. As to changes, the only one I can off is to combine lines 3…" -
06 TueFirst critique offered
on "moisture of ghosts" by @Jenifer James
-
06 TueFirst publication
VILLANELLE SANS LIBERTÉ
-
06 Tue
-
05 MonJoined Neopoet
Membership begins
First poem published 1 days later.
About Me
About me
Called the “blue collar writer” by classmates at the University of Central Florida based on my years serving in the Navy and later working on ships before returning to college at 37, I lived in several states and the Caribbean. I earned an MFA from Goddard College and now live in California with my wife and our son. Semi-retired after 23 years of teaching college English, I continue writing and facilitate a writing workshop for 9 Bridges Writing Community.
I have two award-winning poetry collections: A Former Life (2019 Kops-Fetherling International Award) and Music Speaks (2019 San Gabriel Chapbook Prize; 2021 New York City Book Award). Cyberwit released a chapbook, . . .this just in. . ., in 2021, and Southern Arizona Press published a second full collection of poems, Just a Little Cage of Bone (February 2023).
Location: CA
Favorite Poets
Liesel Mueller
Donald Justice
Gwendolyn Brooks
Phillip Levine
Heather McHugh
Stephen Dobyns
Carolyn Forche
Robert Frost
Recent Work
Contest Wins
| Winning Submission | Contest | Contest Date |
|---|---|---|
| Souvenirs | June 2023 New Member Contest | – |