New Poetry by Abigail George

The education of stars in outer space

(for the Dutch poet Joop Bersee)

Encountering the words of an artist.
Words the dreams of an artist. The
marvelous substance of the shine of a
meteor is stuck there unparalleled. It
is like the education of stars colliding
in the inheritance of outer space. The Nobel
prize does not mean he is far superior.
It means he is a teacher. We are two
writers. Two winters. He is older. I am

younger than he is. The lessons that
I am learning from him is not lost on
me. This meeting point of two strangers.
In dreams trees can grow out of sidewalks
without any water. Johannesburg is not
as ancient as the fields are in London.
We are two writers. It does not matter
where we find ourselves. Or our winters.


- Abigail George 2018

Pushcart Prize nominated for her fiction “Wash Away My Sins” Abigail George is a South African-based blogger at Goodreads (link on Piker Press), essayist, poet, playwright, grant, novella and short story writer. She briefly studied film at the Newtown Film and Television School in Johannesburg. She is the recipient of writing grants from the National Arts Council in Johannesburg, the Centre for the Book in Cape Town and ECPACC (Eastern Cape Provincial Arts and Culture Council) in East London. Her writing has appeared numerous times in print in South Africa, in various anthologies, and online in e-zines based across Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe, Ireland, and the United States. She is the writer of eight books including essays, life writing, memoir pieces, novellas, poetry and a self-published story collection. She lives, works, and is inspired by the people and mountains of the Eastern Cape of Southern Africa.

Bluepepper would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers and contributors a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous 2019.

New Poetry by Guy Farmer

At Home

Anytime she meets
Someone in public,
She’s quick to smile
And assure them
That everything is
All right.

Her eyes dart around,
Worried that someone
Will see the secret
She thinks she’s hiding
But is abundantly apparent
To everyone else.

He awaits at home,
Permeated with
Unresolved anger,
Pacing back and forth,
A sordid creature
Guarding its lair.


- Guy Farmer 2018

Guy Farmer writes evocative, minimalist, modern poetry about the human condition. Visit him online at https://www.unconventionalbeing.com/. 

New Poetry by Michael Keshigian

The Projector

Upon the old film projector
a few revolutions remain,
moaning as it casts
paltry images of black and white
upon the portable screen,
enabling us to visit a bygone era.
Rapt, we stare at the curdled frames
of lost memories, departed parents
and us, their offspring,
squinting at our younger selves,
we frolic under the glow 
of ancient lights,
carefree lunges beneath 
the cold water sprinkler
that emanated from rusty faucets
attached to a three-decker abode,
the summers unfaltering,
we gathered, smaller, more flexible,
clowning, our parents, so young, 
no wrinkles, more hair,
all of us summoned
for a group pose 
by the off-screen director.
How silently time runs its course,
with strange, peculiar hints
if the changes are noted.
We yearn to climb back,
recapture innocence and joyfulness
the calm, silver light exudes.
Then it ends, the old reel flapping,
the brief nostalgic rekindling
has also run its course.


- Michael Keshigian 2018

Michael Keshigian, from New Hampshire, has been published in numerous national and international journals, recently including Aji, San Pedro River Review, Tipton Poetry Journal, Muddy River Review, Passager and has appeared as feature writer in over a twenty publications with 6 Pushcart Prize and 2 Best Of The Net nominations (michaelkeshigian.com).

New Poetry by John Rock

In Reply To Autumn

Autumn
  I know what you’re telling me:
  that there’s only listening
  that if I close my eyes these colors
     are so close to what I see
                     within
           like a coral reef
                                   of lichen so blue
                                   and changeable just enough
      to know that something has happened
                     within
                           summer’s possession
   like leaves’ fingers falling on dawn’s keys
             cars full of hung-over people returning to the cities piled on the horizon
                   beaches laced with char
                           washed up from a fire on an even more northern shore
                            raven stepping among the necklace
                                  looking for things to eat
                                                        among the jewels of fallen fire
                    all living from fires even more northern than America


- John Rock 2018

John Rock grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan in the United States and spent many years on the shores of Lake Superior working on poetry.  He presently lives in northern New Mexico where he's in love with attempting to transcribe the wind and moonlight in the pines.  And the ravens soaring above them.  More poetry and novels at johnrockpoetry.com

New Poetry by Jonathan Beale

Surrey 

Beneath It’s mauve tangerine evening 
pained immortal against the blue 
Cast from mother earth’s essential 
Being – to seeing where the… edge 
Meets – here is where the avenues 
and not the streets weave
among the myriad of green
against the fir trees vengeance 
and the hopeful cherry tree spring 
too far way, as this time consumes us.


- Jonathan Beale 2018

Jonathan Beale is published in 50 plus journals including Mad Swirl, Danse Macabre, Aaduna, Your One Phone Call and The Screech Owl et al. He has a volume published by Hammer and Anvil The Destinations of Raxiera, and is published in The Poet as a Sociopath and Drowning published by Down in the Dirt. He lives in Surrey.  

New Poetry by Glenn Ingersoll

two too neutral

I like to imagine myself healthy and beautiful.
Also, with a chihuahua.
He raises his head from the carpet to look at me.
Our bodies organize themselves.

It’s cold. Three prongs of antelope horn.
Water’s antecedents.
A man I once knew is taller than I knew.
It breaks out of the carapace all squishy-squashy.

Physical violence in response to moral indignation.
I would purr, too, if I were you and in this situation.
The pearly button once closed which shirt?
Billions of solitary friends.


- Glenn Ingersoll 2018

Glenn Ingersoll works for the Berkeley Public Library (Berkeley, California) where he hosts Clearly Meant, a reading & interview series. He has two chapbooks, City Walks (broken boulder) and Fact (Avantacular). He keeps two blogs, LoveSettlement and Dare I Read. Recent work has appeared in Crack the Spine, Bridge 8, and Askew.