Online Poetry Group: Featured Poetry of the Month by Lorena MacDonald and Deborah Vieira

Our Online Poetry Group is made up of people from across the globe who share a love of poetry. Their dream for the coming year in 2025 is to publish an MAI Poetry Group anthology—but for now, the group invites you to enjoy their Featured Poetry of the Month by Lorena MacDonald and Deborah Vieira.

 

Poetry

 

is my wings

to get me through

the kingly waterfalls

 

my key to see

what is behind prison walls

 

keeps my hair unsinged

amidst the judging fire

 

Sets me free

When I’m caught up in

The web of life.

 

Poetry

 

is my super moon

in autumnal gloom

 

my Popocatépetl breathing faith

 

my plum jam on a sour day

 

my socks of comfort

 

my loyal friend

   with me till the end.

– Lorena MacDonald, Scotland

 

writing like a contemporary poet

is to summon names

bring them to the table

give them bread with jam, rucula, and mushrooms

like i did to nathália lima and laura wittner

instead of threatening them with the tip of my ink pen

 

writing like a contemporary poet

is to make a debt on the credit card

to buy the plaquette of patricia lino

forgive me, patricia, i tried pirating it first and couldn’t

and i need to see your poems with my hands

to take them for a walk in my poems

 

to write like a contemporary poet

i’m going to need to read anne carson’s texts

because all the other poets are reading

because all the other poems lead me to her

because when i speak of island they speak of ana martins marques

and of sappho and sappho no longer leads to greek dictionaries

but leads to carson

we are all in the labyrinth with ariadne

helping her hold the skein when she gets tired

– Deborah Vieira, Brazil