William Lynn

Member since February 4, 2023

Member for 3 years, 5 months

Premium member

146 Poems

488 Comments

16 Followers

Most recent

Fireflies, Promise, and Possibilities

Posted Jul 20, 2026 · 33 lines · 3 critiques

A jar of borrowed starlight glows

on the porches wooden rail,

each firefly a tiny lantern

lifting dusk into a softer realm.

The river hushes its silver breath,

holding the sky like a secret;

orange fading to blue

blue leaning into night.

Across the water, a cabin hums

with warm electric constellations-

string lights trembling gently

as if they, too, were alive.

Read the rest of the poem Show less

Flowers bow beneath the shimmer,

their petals brushed by wandering sparks,

and the world seems briefly enchanted,

caught between day's last light

and the quiet promise of dark.

In this moment, everything glows-

the jar, the fireflies, the water,

even the shadows seem

lit from within.

At last, stillness folds itself in silence,

the tiny lanterns fade away.

A perfect summer's night made possible

by fireflies, possibilities and dreams.

William Lynn’s timeline

July 2026
20 Mon

New follower
@Jane
20 Mon

Received a critique
on Fireflies, Promise, and Possibilities from @David Denton
"The imagery is compelling, from the first line to the last. Thank you for sharing!"
20 Mon

Posted a poem
Fireflies, Promise, and Possibilities
"A jar of borrowed starlight glows"
Open thread 33 lines
18 Sat

Posted a poem
One More Night To Dream
"The moon leans low, a silver seam,"
Open thread 19 lines
15 Wed

Critiqued
"Reasons for Leaving the Church" by @Lavender
"Wow! So much said, and in my opinion, spot on. I have tried to embrace organized religion, and could not make it work. I believe that faith is only a reality if practiced, and I have found GOD in a mountain stream or on…"
09 Thu

Received a critique
on A Tender Thief from @kellustzall
"Beautiful imageries and gentle pace. Though naming nolstagia in the middle of the poem without any other interesting counter/sub-plot to it, Id not just stop there, it has much potential to push it into a twist, or at l…"
08 Wed

Posted a poem
Don't I Know You?
"A letter to my future self"
Open thread 34 lines
06 Mon

Received a critique
on A Tender Thief from @Lavender
"Hello, Will, Beautiful. Lovely rhyme, meter ...lovely all. Thank you, L"
05 Sun

Received a critique
on A Tender Thief from @Misspoetrynportraits
"I enjoyed reading this William, I think it’s a sweet poem. Thanks for sharing."
05 Sun

Posted a poem
A Tender Thief
"It drifts in quiet whispers,"
Open thread 24 lines
02 Thu

Received a critique
on Lazy Rainy Morning from @alicespagnol7
"This image: "The sky wears its grey sweater, loose and comfortable," Is stunning! For me it carries the whole stanza. Honestly the title is a bit explanatory and adds nothing to the read. Also like how this part: "Life…"
02 Thu

New follower
@alicespagnol7
01 Wed

Received a critique
on Lazy Rainy Morning from @Clentin
"I feel your portrays the rainy day feelings, liked it!"
June 2026
30 Tue

Contest commendation
06/26 Picnic Basket

with "Our Picnic Basket".
30 Tue

Contest commendation
06/26 School's Out

with "The Final Bell Rings".
30 Tue

Received a critique
on Lazy Rainy Morning from @kellustzall
"Really sorry if this ruins your poem, but I just have an itch around these lines "slower, deeper, kinder, as if it knows we're in no hurry to be anything but present." Not that its of bad quality or anything, when I rea…"
29 Mon

Posted a poem
Lazy Rainy Morning
"Rain drifts down"
Open thread 26 lines
24 Wed

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 01/18/26 to 01/24/26

with "The Box".
23 Tue

Received a critique
on Evening Shadows from @Clentin
"Liked the poem very much, especially this stanza “And when they finally settle in, quiet as a held-back sigh, the world feels closer, almost tender- A hush beneath a deepening sky.”"
23 Tue

Critiqued
"Light" by @Lavender
"Hello Lavender. I really enjoyed this poem, and I love to wade into the day in the same way you do. So much to see and appreciate. Thanks for sharing! - Will"
22 Mon

Posted a poem
Evening Shadows
"Evening shadows gather slow,"
Open thread 19 lines
16 Tue

Posted a poem
The Final Bell Rings
"The final bell rings like a stone skipping free,"
Open thread 30 lines
15 Mon

Posted a poem
A Reluctant Goodbye
"When the sun says goodbye,"
Open thread 20 lines
08 Mon

Posted a poem
Memories
"They arrive unannounced,"
Open thread 32 lines
06 Sat

Critiqued
"The Trials of a Poet" by @Ruby Lord
"Hi Ruby. Your latest poem is a fun one, thanks for sharing. Fortunately, my wife does like my poetry and I use her as a sounding board before I post a poem. She can be a tad "picky", but her suggestions are usually wort…"
06 Sat

Posted a poem
Our Picnic Basket
"A picnic basket waits in the shade,"
Open thread 26 lines
May 2026
31 Sun

Contest commendation
05/26 Carnival Night

with "The Calliope Played".
30 Sat

Critiqued
"On Hold..." by @Candlewitch
"Hi Wallyroo. I appreciate you taking the time to comment. All my best, Will"
30 Sat

Critiqued
"Mistress Library..." by @Geezer
"Our small town of about 900 folks just had a ribbon cutting for our new library. We were previously served by a book-mobile that was seriously lacking, and drove me to Amazon to purchase books instead of borrowing them…"
30 Sat

Critiqued
"Illuminate" by @Lavender
"Beautiful in it's simplicity! Thanks for sharing. -Will"
30 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 05/24/26 to 05/30/26

with "When My Story Ends".
28 Thu

Posted a poem
When My Story Ends
"When my footsteps fade from earth,"
Open thread 24 lines
24 Sun

Critiqued
"On Hold..." by @Candlewitch
"Glad you enjoyed this poem. I always appreciate your comments. Many thanks for reading and commenting. Will"
13 Wed

Critiqued
"On Hold..." by @Candlewitch
"FUNNY INDEED!! - Will"
11 Mon

Posted a poem
On The Porch
"It wraps around us"
Open thread 26 lines
05 Tue

New follower
@Karriss Carey-ivory
April 2026
30 Thu

Contest commendation
04/26 Hidden Charges

with "A Quiet Ambush".
30 Thu

Contest commendation
04/26 Something Sweet

with "Sweet Moments".
30 Thu

Contest commendation
04/26 Earliest Childhood Memory

with "When The World Was Small".
15 Wed

Highest posting month
April 2026 — 10 poems
March 2026
31 Tue

Contest commendation
03/26 Groundhog Day

with "Groundhog Day Shuffle".
28 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 03/22/26 to 03/28/26

with "Hello My Friend".
27 Fri

New follower
@Lavender
February 2026
28 Sat

Contest commendation
02/26 Sunset Romance

with "Shadows At Sunset".
28 Sat

Contest commendation
02/26 What I Carried Quietly

with "The Letter Never Written".
January 2026
31 Sat

Contest commendation
01/26 A Life Changing Moment

with "The Moment It Happened".
17 Sat

Posting milestone
100 poems posted
December 2025
27 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 12/21/25 to 12/27/25

with "Winter's Song".
20 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 12/14/25 to 12/20/25

with "What About Tomorrow?".
October 2025
31 Fri

Contest commendation
10/25 Ode To an Everyday Object

with "Beyond The Mirror".
27 Mon

Most-discussed work
Welcome Home

18 critiques to date.
September 2025
30 Tue

Contest commendation
09/25 Bad Connection

with "The Weight of Silence".
27 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 09/21/25 to 09/27/25

with "Sawtooth Serenity".
12 Fri

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 09/7/25 to 09/12/25

with "On Rapid Creek".
May 2024
18 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 05/12/24 to 05/18/24

with "Mosquitos Suck!".
March 2024
25 Mon

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 02/25/24 to 03/02/24

with "Three Forks".
16 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoet Weekly 03/010/24 to 03/16/24

with "Dancing In The Dark".
February 2024
04 Sun

Anniversary
One year of membership
January 2024
31 Wed

Contest commendation
Neopoet Around The Globe Anthology

with "Our Neopoet Family".
31 Wed

First anthology inclusion
Neopoet Around The Globe Anthology

with the poem "Our Neopoet Family".
December 2023
16 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Weekly 12/11/23 to 12/16/23

with "A MIGHTY SNAKE".
November 2023
18 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week November 12th to November 18th 2023

with "DREAMS BEYOND TOMORROW".
04 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week October 29th to November 4th 2023.

with "No Complaints".
October 2023
21 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week October 15th To October 21st 2023

with "A Starlit Night".
August 2023
25 Fri

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week August 20th To August 25th 2023

with "A WORLD OF INDIFFERENCE".
July 2023
31 Mon

Contest commendation
July 2023 Challenge Where were you last night?

with "Where Did They Sleep Last Night?".
15 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week July 9th to July 15th 2023

with "A Long Goodbye".
April 2023
08 Sat

Contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week April 2nd to April 8th 2023

with "NOT SO LONG AGO".
08 Sat

First contest commendation
Neopoem Of The Week April 2nd to April 8th 2023

with the poem "NOT SO LONG AGO".
March 2023
27 Mon

First critique offered
on "WHEN I LEFT YOU" by @Ruby Lord
February 2023
04 Sat

First publication
Through The Lens Of Life
04 Sat

Joined Neopoet
Membership begins

First poem published 1 days later.

About Me

About me

I am a retired law enforcement officer. After retiring as the elected sheriff of our county, I was hired as the Executive Director of the Idaho Sheriffs Association until my second retirement ten years later.

Now fully retired I enjoy travelling and showing our classic cars throughout the northwest in addition to writing poetry for family and friends.

The main inspiration for my poetry are both the mountain trails I hike and the people I meet along the way.

Location: ID, USA

Favorite Poets

Rod McKuen

T.S. Elliot

Ezra Pound

Walt Whitman

Contest Wins

Winning Submission	Contest	Contest Date
Our Picnic Basket	06/26 Picnic Basket	1 June, 2026 – 30 June, 2026
The Final Bell Rings	06/26 School's Out	1 June, 2026 – 30 June, 2026
When My Story Ends	Neopoet Weekly 05/24/26 to 05/30/26	24 May, 2026 – 30 May, 2026
The Calliope Played	05/26 Carnival Night	1 May, 2026 – 31 May, 2026
A Quiet Ambush	04/26 Hidden Charges	1 April, 2026 – 30 April, 2026
Sweet Moments	04/26 Something Sweet	1 April, 2026 – 30 April, 2026
When The World Was Small	04/26 Earliest Childhood Memory	1 April, 2026 – 30 April, 2026
Hello My Friend	Neopoet Weekly 03/22/26 to 03/28/26	20 March, 2026 – 28 March, 2026
Groundhog Day Shuffle	03/26 Groundhog Day	1 March, 2026 – 31 March, 2026
Shadows At Sunset	02/26 Sunset Romance	1 February, 2026 – 28 February, 2026
The Letter Never Written	02/26 What I Carried Quietly	1 February, 2026 – 28 February, 2026
The Box	Neopoet Weekly 01/18/26 to 01/24/26	18 January, 2026 – 24 June, 2026
The Moment It Happened	01/26 A Life Changing Moment	1 January, 2026 – 31 January, 2026
Winter's Song	Neopoet Weekly 12/21/25 to 12/27/25	21 December, 2025 – 27 December, 2025
What About Tomorrow?	Neopoet Weekly 12/14/25 to 12/20/25	14 December, 2025 – 20 December, 2025
Beyond The Mirror	10/25 Ode To an Everyday Object	1 October, 2025 – 31 October, 2025
Sawtooth Serenity	Neopoet Weekly 09/21/25 to 09/27/25	21 September, 2025 – 27 September, 2025
On Rapid Creek	Neopoet Weekly 09/7/25 to 09/12/25	7 September, 2025 – 12 September, 2025
The Weight of Silence	09/25 Bad Connection	1 September, 2025 – 30 September, 2025
Mosquitos Suck!	Neopoet Weekly 05/12/24 to 05/18/24	12 May, 2024 – 18 May, 2024
Dancing In The Dark	Neopoet Weekly 03/010/24 to 03/16/24	9 March, 2024 – 16 March, 2024
Three Forks	Neopoet Weekly 02/25/24 to 03/02/24	24 February, 2024 – 25 March, 2024
A MIGHTY SNAKE	Neopoem Weekly 12/11/23 to 12/16/23	11 December, 2023 – 16 December, 2023
DREAMS BEYOND TOMORROW	Neopoem Of The Week November 12th to November 18th 2023	12 November, 2023 – 18 November, 2023
Our Neopoet Family	Neopoet Around The Globe Anthology	1 November, 2023 – 31 January, 2024