POETS PLACE
APRIL EDITION 2026
WTF!!!! Is America in danger of total destruction!!! Will Iran bomb us to smithereens??? Are we going to hell in and hand bag?? No wait, we are already in HELL!!! Until the time comes that we are completely silenced by the fascist regime, I will continue to speak my disturbed mind. Yes, I am completely disturbed, distraught and ready to implode. I can’t fathom how this administration continues on destroying everything of value in this country. How can these people sleep at night knowing that what they are doing is SO FUCKING WRONG????!!!! In the meantime, I write, eat, sleep, drink, drug a lot, and worry incessantly. People I am close to keep telling me to be patient, that it, this, will be over soon. I see that many people are fighting and turning over disastrous injustices. Thirty Democrats all over the country have turned seats, and no new Republican seats. Yes. But destruction just doesn’t stop!! So much harm has been happening all over the world!!! SO MUCH FUCKING GREED AND GRIFT!!!! My head is exploding on a daily basis!!! DRUGS!! NEED MORE DRUGS!!!! Okay, let’s calm down. Relax satan. My poetry as you have read here is rageful at times. I do write other stuff too. So let’s get to the good stuff.
Lot’s of good stuff here!!!
Nature is not corrupt
By Linda Kaye
Nature is the life force that heals a broken heart rejuvenates our soul and loves us unconditionally
Breathe the fragrant air that waifs through the trees generated by thousands of years of souls that have departed and left traces of their wisdom for you to breathe (deep breath)
Bask in the sunlight before it is destroyed by the change of seas and by the greed of naysayers
Walk the paths of the countless survivors whose sighs of fire were left as ashes of burnt faith, which can no longer hold any truth or glow of peace
Behold the rotting trunks of centuries old trees that harbor mysteries deep inside it’s decaying roots, waiting for a drop of rain to rebirth its soul
Allow the leaves that have fallen in the dirt to squish between your toes, moisture penetrating the skin whispering new life into your veins
Imagine shadows through the trees dancing in the moonlight, faking music across your path, tempting repressed darkness to splay out and trip you up into believing there is still light at the end of this terror
Trouble Sleeping
By Darren Hembd, 03/2026
the nightmares persist
the monsters are people
they attack
i shoot in self-defense
but
guns do not work here
they are not real
and
the monsters keep coming
the only way to defeat them
is to wake up
Darren Hembd, survivor of abuse that processes trauma through fiction.
more stories at: https://substack.com/@darrenhembd
The Visionary
Anna Broome
2026
The world gave birth to a wise man who knew he was alone — only he could say when the earth would explode and who would set off the bomb.
Ironically, all he would say was it wasn't a human who laid waste to mankind but only mankind wouldn’t remain.
You wouldn't know him to see him. He looks like no one's relative or drinking friend. He barely resembles his own species and looks nothing like another.
His sight is a great gift that comes with eternal life. He’ll be the only one of his kind. Left with the only mind no one left to find.
He isn’t a psychic. He isn’t a god. He isn’t even special or held in high regard.
His last piece of advice he said to no one in particular: anyone can see what I see except all refuse. It’s the same as being blind with two perfect eyes which see not truth but lies.
To be human is not to see unless you’re the last to live and the last to wish to die.
Anna Broome is a Los Angeles poet who has published in various anthologies and journals including Acts of Light, LA Art News and Spectrum 17. Broome performs for local troupes including Public Works Improvisational Theatre’s Storyphile at venues including Beyond Baroque and Art Share LA. She produces and hosts the Anna Broome Room, a monthly, free-to-the-public live-performance art show for the last ten years at Art Share LA. Broome studied poetry at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with Pulitzer Prize nominee Michael White. “Women Napping with Animals”, her collaborative project with Ted Meyer, was published in 2014. Her first collection of poetry, “Orthodox Bats”, was published in 2019. Her second collection “Sex Ed: A Prerequisite at Columbine” was published in 2022. Her new collection “An Irregular Bone” is currently under consideration for the Wilder Prize.
"PRETTI WURDS”
Keith Kurlander “I've always been a creative soul, I make art, music, music videos, TV shows, films and mayhem. If you want to learn all about my fascinating life here's a good place to start.”
KEITH KURLANDER, THE E. TRUE HOLLYWOOD STORY
https://youtu.be/p3er5ptzZTA
LINK TO MUSIC https://www.idiot-savant.net/
More Art at: https://www.artpal.com/disobay & Music at https://www.idiot-savant.net/
The Hat
By Jackie Chou
It was once red
and now it's pink
It reminds me of mom
who was capable
of neglecting something
for so long
that the thing
metamorphosed
into something else
I tucked away
the cashmere sweater
my crush gave me
that turned stiff
after being washed
in the wrong cycle
Unlike her
I hand wash my delicates
dry them on clotheslines
hang them in closets
to avoid wrinkles
I am baffled
that a hat in my care
has faded
through the years
like my skin
aging slowly
Jackie Chou (she/her) is a writer from Southern California who has two collections of poetry, The Sorceress and Finding My Heart in Love and Loss, published by cyberwit. Her poem "Formosa" was a finalist in the Stephen A DiBiase Poetry Prize. She also has poems published in Synchronized Chaos, The Ekphrastic Review, Panoply Zine, Alien Buddha Zine, and Spillwords.
smudges
by jerry the priest
charcoal smudges on lined paper
random codas set to rhythm
we can’t even agree what the message is
the papyrus disintegrates
the measures falter. The message
attacks itself
what record will be left?
Will it be said that we harmonized?
I, for one , have not frequently strived to
nor do I hereby foreswear my rotund libido
I wouldn’t hate on someone, though
Harmony’s not just a matter of tune
So which percentage do you aspire to?
that which we might call reasonable?
or just someplace else you’ve arrived to?
What should it matter? Who are we
to cast aspersions against our own delusion?
Each legacy a hoax there’s little reason
to celebrate
but, shit—lest we sit, counting the scarce hours left to us
in favor of high holy engagements, where yes, again
these countermelodies do indeed
produce miracles
let ink smudges and random codas be our sirens
let them find us together again
lest our messages mirror our confusion
jerry the priest, is a legendary rock multi-instrumentalist and performance poet. His earliest projects include the wildly theatrical 80s-era Commandos of Humiliation group, as well as much published writing. He holds an MFA in Theater Directing from California Institute of the Arts. His surreal travelogue / diary, Brute Entropy, is available at Barnes and Noble.com.
Unsharpie In Chief
By Dean Okamura
"See this pen
right here?
This pen is
an interesting example."
And the Cabinet laughed.
"We've gotta get
our priorities
straight."
And the Cabinet laughed again.
"Sometimes
you have
30, 40 people."
And the Cabinet roared.
"I feel guilty by nature.
I love the government
like I love myself,
economically.
I want to save money."
And the Cabinet roared again.
"The head of Sharpie gets a call. I don't even know who the hell he is. He said, 'Is this really the president?'"
And the Cabinet rose to their feet.
“For $5,
I get a much better pen than for
$1,000, and
I can hand them out.
And, honestly, they've become
hot
as a pistol, so
what can I tell you?”
They are still laughing
... while the world laughs at him
'Is this really the president?
Found poem with overstated Cabinet reactions from this article: Will Weissert/AP, "Trump interrupts a Cabinet meeting dealing with the Iran war and rising prices to talk Sharpies" (2026)
Text: https://apnews.com/article/trump-cabinet-sharpie-pen-iran-war-153a483dc7fcb6c110c69a47481287ae
Dean resides in Torrance. There is so much happening in this world, but he can only
comment in small poems.
A Ride In Time
By The Fringe - Snow Mack and Kevin Mack
1991
Image "Dream Vacation" by Snow Mack and Kevin Mack
Fairy tales and nightmares, faded memories
A ride in time
Fortunes for the lucky ones
Curses for us all
A ride in time
Down the road of sorrow
And up the avenue of joy
Boulevard of desire has no end
I meet myself again
Life is but a dream
I row my boat gently down the stream
Life is but a dream
I row my boat gently down the stream
Make my house on every street
Leave the closet bare
A ride in time
Wishing for a life of days
Flowing on a wave
A ride in time
Hurry home to destiny
Find the answer there
Peace is waiting forever
There's no end
You meet yourself again
Life is but a dream
I row my boat gently down the stream
Life is but a dream
I row my boat gently down the stream
https://mapafringe.bandcamp.com/track/a-ride-in-time
Vocals - Snow Mack
Guitars, bass, drums, synths, recording - Kevin Mack
Lyrics and Music - Snow Mack and Kevin Mack
© ℗ 1991 Kevin and Snow Mack
Snow Mack (she, her) is a contemporary visual artist known for her vibrant, dream-inspired paintings and symbolic assemblage frames. Her work blends pop culture, mythology, and surreal imagery to explore the subconscious, resulting in visually rich narratives that are both personal and archetypal. Snow Mack lives and works in Los Angeles, where she continues to develop a body of work that merges vivid imagination, cultural commentary, and a deep symbolic vision. SnowMack.com - IG @snowmackart
Kevin Mack (he, him) is a contemporary artist and a pioneer of digital art, virtual reality, and visual effects. He investigates emergence and the creative process, examining the mechanisms of perception, imagination, and cognition that shape experience. His practice explores how generative systems give rise to new forms and experiential realities.
KevinMackArt.com - IG @kevinmackart
Kevin Mack and I started writing songs together in the early 80's after we met at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. We performed in clubs in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Wilmington, North Carolina.
More about The Fringe: https://www.snowmack.com/the-fringe.html
ACUPUNCTURE, IS IT FOR ME?
By Mary Cheung
8-26-25
8:15 a.m.
Prick, stick
Invades my body and my mind.
Re-create, re-make, ignite what's inside.
Building me back up to make my body whole.
With an ancient technique, is this a hoax?
Won't know until I try, or I’ve been told so.
So here I lay with a track of needles,
Ouch! That one hurt; instinctively, I cry.
Strange things are happening
in parts of my body, and I don't know why.
I accept the process and the changes,
The weird sensations ranges...
From spasming sights to difficult inhaling, oh my chest is tight…
But eventually it all goes away.
Washed away to reveal the birthing of my new body...
Hmm, maybe there is something to this acupuncturist after all…
Mary Cheung is a multi-disciplinary artist. She has been creating art since she was little. Youngest in a family of eight. She came to America at the age of 2 and grew up in San Francisco. Attended American school during the day and Chinese school at night.
Mary has an AA degree in Fashion Design and a Best Costume Design Award from the NAACP. She often creates costumes for her art narratives and creations.
She was the recipient of 3 grants in 2024 and the Denis Diderot and Emerging Artist
award. She has art exhibited and published locally and Internationally.
Her real passion and drive come from being able to engage the community while bringing hope, healing, joy, and human connection. It is her goal to be able to continue to do this while making an impact on society’s values and thinking.
“I hope that I can be a role model for others to find their own true voice in life through my art."
La Primavera
By G. Billie Quijano
A symphony of song and flores
Seeds of beauty blossoming
Explosion of colores
Vastness, breathtaking
Bees, birds, mariposas
Operas of love
Riding on their wings
Goddess breath
Swaying through the leaves
She brings endless love, grace and dreams
Rebirth, renewal
Soul awakening
Shed the old
New beginnings are born
Set intentions
Where new energies flow
Keep balance and harmony
To maintain the whole…
G. Billie Quijano-Hija de East Los. Artista, Poeta, Bruja. Lowrider Por Vida. Artistic expression is my medicine. Arte is an elixir for my resilience, my corazon and as a survivor. Arte keeps me balanced. Arte reminds me of all of the beauty around me and how I participate and contribute. Joy is always possible. We are all beacons of light and the collective consciousness is rich with empathy, compassion, energy and a fire for justice. Rebel Ruca presente.
Calamity
By Michelle Smith
Hot weather
Heat Wave
High gas prices
I don't own a car
but the cost is clear
as in cutting onions slices
Both bring a sting
to my eyes and pocketbook
The MSRP or petrol sticker shock ⛽😮💨
has me take a second look
Schedule an sightseeing Amtrak?
Too expensive to Uber
Where's the nearest MTA
public city bus?
Metrolink it
or Greyhound
and leave the driving to us?
Michelle Y. Smith is a Los Angeleno native and is like Stretch Armstrong, an action figure with many life, love, and laughter roles:
My heart is mother to an autistic son who is my more than my pride and joy. Sister, aunt, grand aunt, cousin, & friend.
My patience is my employment am a CNA and advocate for the developmentally and elderly disabled community.
My drive is published poetry in Love Letters, Acid Verse II, and Just for the People by Los Angeles Poet Society Press; anthologies and zines by DSTLArts; and Four Feathers Press zines and http://saturdayafternoonpoetry.blogspot.com. My poem, "There is a Sunflower" published in June was nominated by the Four Feathers Press PDF/Print Publication Awards.
THANKS FOR JOINING US!!!!
Please submit your written work to: lindakayepoetry@icloud.com
and include a short bio
Linda Kaye writes poetry, curates poetry, produces films, spoken word and art events and produces a poetry column POETS PLACE for the online publication LAARTNEWS throughout the Los Angeles area. She recently exhibited her first piece of artwork! A photograph taken in Waikiki, was represented at the Los Angeles Makery gallery’s REFLECTION:RESILIENCE show curated by the Arroyo Arts Collective. And this month April 12 showing artwork again at the Los Angeles Makery her photograph, Ladispoli, Roma is included in The Quiet show.
Linda’s poetry events have included several summer poetry salons, and shows at the Align Gallery, 50/50 Gallery, Gold Haus Gallery, Ave 50 Gallery, Rock Rose Gallery in Highland Park, The Manifesto Café in Hermon, Pilates and Arts studio in Echo Park, and Native Boutique, Zweet Café in Eagle Rock, The Los Angeles Makery in Little Tokyo, and at the Neutra Institute Gallery and Museum in Silverlake. Her first short documentary film “BORDER POETS” was a socially and politically inspired event with poets and musicians filmed at the border wall near Tecate, Mexico on the Jacumba, Ca. side of the US. The film co-produced by MUD productions is available for viewing on her website and on youtube. https://youtu.be/5Te4-dlhxco
Her rap music video project in collaboration with Mary Cheung, “ERACE-ISM” can also be seen on youtube. https://youtu.be/NfrbveNUBgg This video was accepted into the Ontario Museum of History & Art show “We the People” Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. February 2- April 16, 2023. So honored!!
And… February 19, 2022, she debuted her staged poetry production of “20 Years Left” at the historic Ebell Club in Highland Park! Two sold out shows with 2 standing ovations!! Her documentary short of the making of “20 Years Left” screened at the Highland Park Independent Film festival in 2023 and was awarded an Honorable Mention. Check out the links to reviews and the video!
https://thehollywoodtimes.today/20-years-left-new-show-performance-poetry-music/
20 Years Left youtube live stream 2/19/22
https://youtu.be/GT1D5k2EeKU
Linda Kaye is a native Angeleno who grew up in the San Fernando Valley. She claims to be both a first-generation Valley Girl, and The Original Hipster. Educated at Antioch University, and Cal State Long Beach in psychology and social work. Linda, now retired from medical social work, was working for her last seven years of employment as a psychotherapist and licensed clinical supervisor for an out patient mental health clinic. She was a licensed medical social worker for 30+ years working on the front line of healthcare, a private consultant for Physicians Aid Association and for skilled nursing facilities throughout California and Arizona. She was also an adjunct assistant professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Oh yeah.
www.lindakayepoetry.com
Twitter/Instagram: lindakayepoetry
www.laartnews.com
https://shoutoutla.com/meet-linda-kaye-poet-theatrical-poetry-producer-retired-social-worker-and-professor/
http://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-linda-kaye/https://
shoutoutla.com/meet-linda-kaye-poet-poetry-and-theatrical-producer-filmmaker/