& Poetry Spills Out

I started submitting my poetry to literary websites exactly four years ago this month. I remember it was June because I was down-sized on my banking job the first week of May. I don't know what I would do for work, especially with the down-turn in the economy that was occuring. I don't even know if I would qualify for the unemployment compensations I was suppose to be due. That May of 2003 must have been the longest month of my life. To be out of work for a workaholic like myself is a nightmare come true.

But things worked out just like they always do for me in the end. I got 26 weeks worth of unemployment benefits and used the time to begin to write poetry in hornest. I must have gotten two dozen rejections before a poem was picked up and published online at Tryst3 Journal, which was the encouragement I needed. And as if that wasn't enough good luck, I began to tutor, this time on a full-time basis instead of part-time after my regular 9-5 for ten years.

Since that first acceptance I've had nearly 1000 poems published online or in hard print literary journals and magazines. I've made about the same amount of money from writing as I've found in the coin return slot of phone booths during that time but its been fun and has brought me much personal satifaction. I still write 10 new poems a week just like I did when I started out. I submit two 5-poems sets each week to some online site or another. I still feel the excitment each time an email arrives telling me someone thinks enough of my work to publish it.

For this posting I thought I'd list the websites where my poetry is currently online. Take a look at the sites, compare them, see if you recognize any other poets, and read a poem or two while you're at it. The sites are:

www.leafscape.org/press1/v1n1
http://www.sawbuckpoetry.blogspot.com/
http://www.kritya.in/
http://www.avatarreview.net/
http://www.moriapoetry.com/
http://www.kulturevulture.org/
http://litchaos.com/
http://the-otolith.blogspot.com/
www.main.nc.us/wiresandwich/issue_five
http://www.centrifugaeye.com/
www.hamiltonstone.org/hsr11.html
http://www.noojournal.com/
www.laurahird.com/showcase/mauriceoliver.html
http://www.jackmagazine.com/
http://www.inditecircle.com/
http://www.foame.org/
http://www.canopicjar.com/
www.nzpoetsonline.homestead.com/Index17.html
www.madswirl.com/content/poetryforum.html


And here's an example of what you'll see:


With Ego Riding Shotgun (L.A. 1992)

The light on her side of the bed was on when she
propped an elbow under her chin and said,
"what more can you expect after all
that's happened".but before i
could consider a reply
the headboard
banged a brief s.o.s. of
a distress signal against the
wall then lost its mooring lie the
nanosecond reaction of a boat being
cast off.it set out on its course across a
bleached oak floor that began to sway.lamps

and picture framws dove off dresser tops for cover.
the ceiling above us cracked in trails of dust.
for one silly moment i thought of my pistol

in the closet as if bullets could penetrate
this brazen intruder.we bounced
around sveral more seconds

then it just stopped in an
uncanny hush.with the
foot of the bed
almost out
the
window she remained unperturbed.her eyes said
she was ready to peruse all issues on all fronts.


Poem first published online at: http://onefortytwo.com/
Copyright 2007 by Maurice Oliver. All Rights Reserved.
Visit my e-zine: http://www.concelebratory.blogspot.com/
and music blog: http://www.medleymakersant.blogspot.com/