Hey there! Happy Mother’s Day.
One bit of news I heard this week is that Glimmer Train is coming to its final destination – here’s what appeared in a recent email: “Most of you already know that next fall Glimmer Train will—after almost 30 years—finally arrive at the end of the line: The last Writers Ask, #85, will be out in October 2019, and Glimmer Train #106, the fall issue, will also be out in October (a little later than the usual August) so we have time to tuck every last irresistible story into it!”
Also, submissions are now open for the next issue of Subprimal Poetry Art, to be published this summer 2018. Subprimal pays for poetry, flash fiction, essays, and artwork. This time around, Subprimal is also looking for book reviews to include in the issue. Subprimal does not offer payment for reviews however. For details, please see Subprimal Poetry submission page.
I’m grateful to Aji Magazine for including my poem “Tidings” in the latest issue. You can read it for free — Aji Magazine is a downloadable PDF. There are lots of contributors and gorgeous artwork—it’s what I’ll be reading this weekend.
Finally, I am happy to be able to share this beautiful poem by Lesléa Newman. Lesléa Newman has lots of credits to her name. You may have heard about one of her latest projects– A Letter to Harvey Milk, The Musical.
She is the author of numerous books. One of her most well known books for children is Heather Has Two Mommies. Lesléa Newman is also known for her poetry and has collections. The poem here, “My Mother Cups Her Hand” is from her latest poetry book which is titled Lovely (Headmistress Press).
BTW, back in 2015, I was also able to celebrate Mother’s Day by sharing poetry by Lesléa Newman. My continued gratitude to Lesléa Newman for letting me share her work.
Peace, love, and solace
My Mother Cups Her Hand
My mother cups her hand around my cheek
And draws me close until we’re head to head
Neither one of us can bear to speak
We know that she’ll be dead within a week
And both of us believe that dead is dead
My mother cups her hand around my cheek
I swallow back a monumental shriek
And curse the goddamn tumors that have spread
Neither one of us can bear to speak
She stares at me, her brown eyes growing bleak
What’s left to say forever left unsaid
My mother cups her hand around my cheek
We know that death will creep in like a sneak
And snatch my mother right up from her bed
Neither one of us can bear to speak
In the face of death we’ve both grown meek
The heavy silence blankets us with dread
My mother cups her hand around my cheek
Neither one of us can bear to speak
© Lesléa Newman, 2018
“My Mother Cups Her Hand” copyright © 2018 by Lesléa Newman from Lovely (Headmistress Press, Sequim, WA). Used by permission of the author.
Lesléa (pronounced “Lez-LEE-uh”) Newman is the author of 70 books for readers of all ages, including A Letter to Harvey Milk; October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard; I Carry My Mother; The Boy Who Cried Fabulous; Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed; and Heather Has Two Mommies, which was the first children’s book to portray lesbian families in a positive way
She has received many, many literary awards. Her award-winning short story, A Letter To Harvey Milk, has been made into a film and adapted for the stage.
In addition to being an author, Lesléa Newman is a popular guest lecturer. Currently she is a faculty mentor at Spalding University’s brief residency MFA in Writing program.
Recently published books include the poetry collections: Lovely (Headmistress Press); I Carry My Mother (Golden Crown Literary Society Award and Massachusetts Center for the Book “Must Read” title); picture book Here Is The World: A Year of Jewish Holidays (Sydney Taylor Notable); Ketzel, The Cat Who Composed (Massachusetts Book Award, Sydney Taylor Award, and Cat Writers Association Best “Litter-ary” Award); Sparkle Boy (Lee and Low, 2017); and Gittel’s Journey: An Ellis Island Story (Abrams, 2018).
THANKS so much to Lesléa Newman for sharing her work here.
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