Check out Genie Santiago's new release, "Clementine's Revenge."
Chad Parenteau: Poet For Hire
The Blog
Friday, April 04, 2025
My Friday Evening Music
This Black Crowes song sounds more Black Crowes-y, though it's sad the band seems to be drowning out poor Chris Robinson. Good sound. Here's to at least one more album.
Nice to Be Back
Thanks to Editor/Publisher John Patrick Robbins for including my poem "Folks" in today's edition of The Crossroads.
Stone Soup Croutons, 4-2-25: Hammering Jags
Stone Soup Croutons is a weekly poem I write using lines and impressions selected from Stone Soup Poetry's open mic readers and features. I figure out a title (and sometimes the rest of the poem) later. You can read the other ones I've done since 2015 here.
Carnivorous Wisdom
My Friday Morning Music
"Rats and Clowns" was the second track from their most recent album, Happiness Bastards. The band rocking hard with lead singer Chris Robinson almost speaking the lyrics instead of his usual croon seems to be created for their new drummer, Brian Griffin. A bold move to put the singer almost in the real while the rest of the band thrashing out. It must be fun to play and hear live.
Leopards Eating Faces Update!
While I've been hesitant to list "the entire world" as the latest leopards eating face victim, with this week's Dow plunge resulting from Trump's tariffs, I don't think I have a choice.
Thursday, April 03, 2025
On Patrol
Something short and sweet while our United Dumpster Fire burns? It would appear so. Something short and sweet for James Van Looy's poem column. Read It's All One Thing, up now at Oddball Magazine.
Jason Wright Features at Stone Soup Poetry, 4-2-25
From this week's online gathering. Not only did Jason Wright return to Stone Soup to kick off National Poetry Month, Richard Spisak and the Stone Soup Players performed an online play called Hernani Kenerly Centre! There's something in it for everybody, even if that everybody is us. Thanks, Jason, and check out Oddball Magazine for literature, merch and more!
Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey, Goodbye
Last night was a good night for the Stone Soup Players and feature Jason Wright. Thank you, Jason, and thank yous to everyone who came out last night. More Stone Soup news coming as National Poetry Month marches on.
Wednesday, April 02, 2025
Finally Finally Finally Finally (to the tune of " Row, Row, Row Your Boat")!
Now I can get home and get ready for Jason Wright's Stone Soup feature. I hope each and every one of you joins me.
Doing Cartwheels
Another mood-proper pairing from returning contributors. Welcome back poet Megan Cartwright and photographer Edward S. Gault as we close out Wednesday at Oddball Magazine. Thank you for agreeing to read something a bit darker today.
Stone Soup Players Casting Call for Tonight!
Richard Spisak is looking for poets, drama enthusiasts and other interested people to join our ensemble of Stone Soup Players for tonight's Stone Soup Poetry open mic featuring Jason Wright. Richard wants to do a satirical Zoom play and is looking for interested orators in the following roles:
1. Don J’Trumpo
2. The ghost of Roy Cohn
3. The Marquis Elon of Möskratté
4. Gran Duke’D Eeyful Mascarati
5. Young Baron de i’l literati
6. Donna Melancholia D’ moroso
7. Narrator:
8. Grok – Muskrats AI Companion
9 . Sound Effects "person" or " droid"
Email me at chadpoetforhire@yahoo.com or message me on Facebook and let me know you're interested.
Poems for my Sentiment
Dark mood equals dark poems sometimes. I'm not complicated at all. Here's returning poet Scott Taylor and returing photographer Bonnie Matthews Brock to start off Wednesday at Oddball Magazine.
A Moment of Comics
This half page (taken from an article in The Comics Journal) is the only image I could find from Unsupervised Existence, written and drawn by Terry LaBan. It was once considered one of the best comics of the nineties. I remembered this scene of the cab drivers' writing workshop and wanted to include it for National Poetry Month. It was a tougher undertaking than I thought it would be.
My then girlfriend, Lynne Sticklor, had one of the collections from that series. Love's Not a Three Dollar Fare. I had the other one, International Bob. I loved LaBan's depiction of city life and its inhabitants struggling to both exist and matter. The strips in Love's Not a Three Dollar Fare seemed like some kind of commentary on our relationship. If not for the sex scenes (again, it was the nineties), this book could have been required reading in schools. Hopefully, someone can collect the entire series before it's completely forgotten.
American Haiku: A Job Done ICEly
Another Past Blast Moment
Toni sent me this photo yesterday. It's me in my favorite summer outfit, so it has to be from a few years ago at one of her Poets in the Garden readings in Cambridge. The followup text said, "Shorts gloryyyy" and now I have anxiety about having to bare my legs for another summer.
Your Wednesday Morning Poetry
What you write in less-than-perfect times matters. That's because, ultimately, there is no perfect time. Never has been. In light of recent electoral "wins," here's "To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth" by Phillis Wheatley Peters. Thanks again, Poetry Foundation.
Tuesday, April 01, 2025
Couldn't Finish in April But...
Getting closer to finishing The Tuesday Poems with Part Seventy-Three, "Stain," now up on my Patreon.
Here's Why
Poet Susan Isla Tepper and artist Digby Beaumont kick off National Poetry Month beautifully over at Oddball Magazine.
This Week's Most Distinguished Network Name
Spring 2025 Haiku
Quick Reminder
Join my private Stone Soup NaPoWriMo group if you want a private place to post your poems this month.
And keep visiting the official site for writing prompts.
National/Global Poetry Writing Month is Underway!
Some, like myself, still call it National Poetry Writing Month. Some call it Global Poetry Writing Month. Old school, new school, whatever camp and country you're in, good luck with this month's challenge to average a poem a day for thirty days. And remember, kids: If Beavis and Butthead can compose haiku on the spot, you all can at least start a poem on the first of April.
NaPoWriMo Intro
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NaPoWriMo graphic by Maureen Thorson. |
For those of you coming to this blog via the NaPoWriMo website, here's a little about me.
I've been a poet online for over twenty years. I've been taking part in the annual poem-a-day event for almost as long. When I primarily call it NaMoWriMo and not GloPoWriMo, it's only because it's what I've known it to be for so long. Well, that and I have over two decades worth of labels on this blog to sort things out. No offense to my fellow poets around the globe.
For expediency, many of my poems here will be written in a sparse style similar to the work found in my first book, Patron Emeritus, which I'll plug to give props to my non-Amazon using publisher. If you want to know about my other books, check out my main website.
For nearly twenty years, I've hosted Stone Soup Poetry, a weekly gathering that now meets online. If you're interested, you should join us (and let you know you heard about us via the NaPoWriMo link).
I have a Patreon page you can join for cash or for free. I'll be trying to update that. I also have weekly poems like my American Haiku on Wednesdays and my Stone Soup Croutons on Fridays. I also do the occasional City Haiku and Practice Haiku and other odds and ends.
None of those will count towards the 30/30. If you don't see a NaPo/GloPo banner, they don't count.
Not a flex. Just a standard I like to put on myself for April.
This is my annual marathon run, and I intend to see it through with some semblance of style.
There will also be links to Oddball Magazine, a literary zine I help to edit and publish. I hope you consider sending your work over. Topical poetry is especially wanted in these times.
I also host a private Stone Soup Poetry group if you're interested in posting there to a small but devoted audience.
I'm always posting here, so I hope you come back from time to time even after April to look around.
Good luck this month, my new friends.
Monday, March 31, 2025
Ubermensch Eats
Welcome Grady VanWright's latest satire piece to Oddball Magazine with artwork by DL Polonsky.
Profiles with Mickey Burns with Glenn Bowie
Some Swift Silliness Using the Hay(na)ku
It's Alive!
You Learn Somthing New Every Day
Until yesterday, I never heard the phrase about not knowing "whether to shit or go blind." Apparently, this was my Pepe's favorite phrase (though I don't remember hearing him swear until he hit eighty). Because of my Mom, however, I might always associate this with phrase with Twig.
Last Friendly Reminder for Monday Morning
April isn't until tomorrow, but you can pick up your hard copy of Boston Compass at your favorite location right now.
I Need This
I love this Citgo sticker. Made by Jesse Haley, the same creator of the Corita Kent sticker. I'm grabbing this when it's back in stock.
This Week's Friendly Reminder
People are being taken off the streets for having committed no crime. If that doesn't inform you politically, then I don't know what to say to you.
My Monday Morning Music
94 WHJY in Providence is one of the few radio stations who features newer music from older bands. This song from The Black Crowes was put out last year, and I heard it on 94 HJY yesterday while visiting Mom. It sounded a bit like "Jealous Again," which disappointed me because up until then, I never thought any of the Black Crowes songs really sounded alike. I'll have to listen to more of this album.
Sunday, March 30, 2025
Smokey Flashback
Been going through photos I lost track of after the pandemic hit. This one's from 2017 when Smokey could still see (and was still alive) but was starting to get carted around by Mom in his carriage.
Your Weekly Dose of God
Had this "Is This Your Last Day?" pamphlet handed to me in Forest Hills. This hits differently a week later after Jeff Taylor's death.