You heard it here first.
She is already a superior poet to me — with a tiny fraction of the time and effort. (Don’t ya just hate the people who have inordinately high aptitudes? Damned wunderkind.)
It is a good thing that I love her so madly; otherwise, I’d be jealous.
My Alumbud Deanna Hicks posted this to Facebook, and she gave me permission to share it. 🙂 Thanks Dee!
This would have been the year before the late Dr. Chris Kilmartin joined the faculty.
I had all of these professors except Dr.’s Corcoran and MacEwen.
The Piker Press today published my poem, “Orchard, Girl and Frost.” 🙂
As always, I’m grateful to Managing Editor Sand Pilarski for founding this wonderful creative community!
Retail wasn’t an option. I’m pre-owned.
To all the really cool people who reached out to me yesterday, thank you so much for the birthday wishes!! You really made the day special — and I am lucky to have such fine friends. 🙂
I was saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Chris Kilmartin, PhD, a pillar of the University of Mary Washington community. News of Dr. Kilmartin’s death was shared to social media today by his wife, Dr. Allyson Poska.
“Dr. K.’s” accolades as an educator and psychologist are far too numerous to list here, but he is remembered fondly by so many alumni as a favorite professor. I feel certain that his loss will be felt far and wide.
The really cool people at Spillwords Press today featured my prose poem, “Her Smile Was Silver Jupiter.”
Thanks once again to Chief Editor Dagmara K. for allowing me to be a part of this terrific community of readers and writers.
I am so grateful to have three poems and six photos published in the Spring/Summer 2026 Issue of The Stray Branch. Despite some challenging circumstances surrounding her family’s health, Editor and Founder Debbie Berk today released the new installment of this outstanding independent literature magazine. (I know I am not alone in admiring Ms. Berk’s extraordinary commitment to the creative community that she established.)
The poems selected were “imagine the moon as companion,” “An Altogether Different Slumber” and “Blue Wolves Move in an Indigo Wood.” The photos were a selection of black-and-white shots that I took throughout Salem and Roanoke, Virginia.
You can purchase a copy of the magazine right here:
The Stray Branch — Spring/Summer 2026
I am so happy to report here that my short nature poem, “The Mountain at Summer, Seen from a Passing Car,” will be included in the upcoming Gathering poetry anthology. Gathering is an outstanding annual collection developed by Poets Anonymous and The Bards Initiative, and published by Local Gems Press.
The book is slated for an August 26th release, following a book launch that day at 7:30 PM at the Courtyard Dulles Airport Chantilly, 3935 Centerview Drive, Chantilly VA 20151. (The doors open at 7 PM.)
For preorder information, please see the Local Gems Press website here.
I am quite grateful to The Bards Initiative President James P. Wagner, along with Lesley Tyson and Megan McDonald of Poets Anonymous.
This will mark the 45th anthology where my writing has appeared.
See what I did there?
Mid-life is what you make it.
