Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Definitely Traces

May Contain Traces of Me, Part Five: You Too Can Cut People Off. Read it on my Patreon.


Hi, Ernie!

Poet Ralph Dranow and photographer Jennifer Matthews give us the Tuesday goods over at Oddball Magazine. 

This Week's Most Distinguished Network Name

It's amazing what people will name their online networks. I'm always trying to hijack Wi-Fi when I'm commuting, so I often come across a number of interesting names. Every Tuesday, I post the most impressive and/or cringe-inducing names.

Network Name: Bada-Ping
I thought last week was the last internet pun for a while. I was wrong.

Happy Birthday, Robert Carr

 


Happy Birthday, Roberta Beach Jacobson

Check out Five Fleas (Itchy Poetry).

Happy Birthday, Mysti Milwee

 


Saddest Six-Word Novel of America's 250th Anniversary


Big piles,
patriotic candy
still unsold.

Monday, July 20, 2026

Oddball Stories with Ian C Smith

Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine this Monday.

This One Too! This One Too!

John Patrick Robbins also edits and publishes the journal Drinkers Only. 

Again, send your poems to him at whotheduckistheeditor@gmail.com


Submit! Submit!

Submit to John Patrick Robbins' journal The Crossroads when you can.

Write to editor John Patrick Robbins at whotheduckistheeditor@gmail.com


Final Word?

More GOT fun.

 


Best Take Ever!

Cartoonist Anne Skove takes on a recent hit movie in this week's comic. 

Read "She Who Laughs Lasts." Up now at Oddball Magazine. 


Can't Wait for This Series to End

 

It's Later Now, Part Forty-Six: Oops. Read it on my Patreon.

Like Cattle

Mike Mesterton-Gibbons gives us something depressingly different but not too surprising to kick off Monday at Oddball Magazine. Welcome to the new week. Hope to see you on the other side.

Another Friend Returns

Stone Soup Poetry welcomes the return of Marc Goldfinger this Wednesday.

Flyer: Now Marc Goldfinger Rides Into Stone Soup - Stone Soup Poetry welcomes Marc Goldfinger, Stone Souper, Highway Poet and Poetry Editor of Spare Change News. - Wednesday, July 22, 2026, 7:00-9:00 P.M. ET - Open mic included! Donations appreciated! - Visit https://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/ for the Zoom link

From the Weekend

Another Saturday of hanging with Mom and playing tug of war with Twig and his latest chew toy.

Good Bloom

I think this is the longest our hydrangea have lasted in one summer without wilting. Thankful for the rain we've had. 


Happy Birthday, Shannon Lynette

 

 


Happy Birthday, Nate Leland

We need more of your work online.

 

Change Coming

The wall outside the former 7/11 has been cleaned off completely for a while.

This Week's Friendly Reminder

From the Tres Gatos book and record store/cafe. I this age where corporations are eliminating physical media, it's more important than ever to support local stores that stock and sell it. 


My Monday Morning Music

Continuing to focus of work from artists who are still alive. Sleeps With Angels came out from Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 1994. This was the first release from the album.

 

 


Sunday, July 19, 2026

City Haiku

 
Heat wave takes a break. 
Light breeze travels through air with
faraway music. 


News from the Front: Sponsor!

I have a right to not make money the same as all of you!

 


News from the Front, 7-19-26: I Got Nothing

We report the news then make up stuff that will probably happen. 


Jack Powers as a Meanie Poet

Without getting into too much detail, I came into some artifacts of Stone Soup Poetry founder Jack Powers, which include publications his work appeared in. I remember this issue of Meanie from the spring of 1998. Sadly, I probably had to lose this during one of my many moves. 

Happy Belated Birthday, Navah The Buddaphliii

 

 


The State of Me on a Sunday

The more I practice self-care by going to the doctor, the older I look and feel. Today, the similarities between me and my father are undeniable even to myself.


Happy Birthday, Robin G. White

 

 


Happy Birthday, Lydia Cortes

 

 


Your Weekly Dose of God

Haven't been around the city very much outside of work to record anything. Here's a dose of heavy metal "Christian Metalcore" to fill the void of no ideas this week.

 

 


Friday, July 17, 2026

My Friday Evening Music

While I always preferred the long version of "Toltal Eclipse of the Heart," I have to include the music video version of this song. This has everything you'd expect in a video. Did I see ninjas too? RIP Bonnie Tyler. It didn't take many songs on the radio to make you immortal.

 

 


Painful Trudge

Getting through the day's work. I may post more tonight. Might not.

When In Rome...Wisdom

Bruce Wise's poem column Wise Words takes us home.

Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine this week. 

Still Life After Breakfast, Part 169



Words Move

Janet Cormier's Bamboozled No More! is up now at Oddball Magazine. 


My Friday Morning Music

My Bonnie Tyler tribute continues now and concludes later with the most obvious picks. How many movies has this song been featured in, and it never got old. 

 

 


Leopards Eating Faces Update!

 

Yes, Reverend, Trump "betrayed" you (as much as someone who made his evil intentions clear can possibly betray you when they're being obviously and honestly evil), but you fed your congregation to the leopards yourself. You betrayed them even more, and you deserve the leopards you get.


Thursday, July 16, 2026

Yep, I Wrote That!

My poem "All F--ked Out" (yes, really) is published today over at Drinkers Only. Thanks to John Patrick Robbins for publishing something different of mine.

 

Getting Attached

 

Harley Shiner is this week's featured poet  at The Arts Fuse.


Cold Air Blows In

James Van Looy gives us a more wintry poem with this week's poem column. 

Read It's All One Thing, up now at Oddball Magazine. 


Happy Birthday, Peter Payack

 


Happy Birthday, Jake St. John

 


Mary Ann Honaker Features at Stone Soup Poetry, 7-15-26

From this week's online gathering. Thanks to Mary Ann Honaker for a wonderful feature with work from her latest collection. You can pre-order it now. 

 

 


Hello Again

Stone Soup is back and we returned in style. Thanks so much to Mary Ann Honaker for featuring last night. Be sure to support her by purchasing her latest collection, Night is Another Realm Altogether. Be back next week for special feature Marc Goldfinger. 


New Summer Anthem

Walking home yesterday under the shadow of Canada's fires.

 


Wednesday, July 15, 2026

I Knew Today Was Going to be Brutal

At least I can get ready for Stone Soup Poetry's return tonight.

Mary Ann Honaker is tonight's special feature.

I hope you join us. 


The Sun! The Cursed Horrible Sun!

The Chad Parenteau's Lost Causes newsletter for July 15 is up now at Substack.


Keeping Allies Close

And now we close out with poet Kathryn Stinson and artist Thomas Riesner.

Thank you for reading Oddball Magazine today. We'll be back. 

Enough

I hate having nothing to show for all my work.

Strangers in the Same Place

Poet Gopal Lahiri and photographer Edward S. Gault will kick our Wednesday off over at Oddball Magazine. Thanks for reading us today!

It's Your Patriotic Duty This Month

Read poetry and reviews, in the July issue of North of Oxford by Editors Diane Sahms and g emil reutter.

While you're at it, read the review of reutter's Making America Sad Again – Trump and the Sycophants over at the GAS: Poetry Art and Music website.


Counting Birds

 

Poet and author Gary Metras graces this week's Lyrical Somerville, up now at The Somerville Times. 

It's Been a While

Stone Soup Poetry returns tonight with Mary Ann Honaker.

Flyer: Visiting Stone Soup from Another Realm - Mary Ann Honaker reads from her forthcoming collection as Stone Soup Poetry’s first July feature. - Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 7:00-9:00 P.M. ET - Open mic included! Donations appreciated!  - Visit https://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/ for the Zoom link

Bonus Poetry

Words from the poet Marwan Makhoul that I found on a sticker in Jamaica Plain.
 

Sticker: In order for me to/write poetry that isn't/political/I must listen to the/birds/and in order to hear/the birds/the warplanes must be/silent. - Marwan Makhoul, Palestinian Poet

A Moment of Comics

I have to admit I've been enjoying the crossover specials between Marvel and DC Comics. It's nice seeing comics created by writers and artists who aren't "company men" obsessed with brand loyalty or having one character one-up the other. How can that exist anymore in this age? Anyway, here's a page from the story "Our Kryptonite," written by Brad Meltzer and drawn by Pepe Larraz. 


American Haiku: One Perfect Follow-Up After Another

When I started my Sarcastic Haiku series, I wrote my first American Haiku. An American Haiku doesn't care about tradition, formality or history. it takes as long as it wants to make its point because America. You can read others I've written since by clicking here and scrolling down. 
 

American Haiku: One Perfect Follow-Up After Another
 
Perfect peace deal done!
until my perfect peace plan improves!

City Haiku

A swamp in the air.
Traffic slowly pushes through
early morning haze. 


Proof of Life?

I don't care how many times Fox News dramatically reads the press release. 

 


Your Wednesday Morning Poetry

To mark Lindsey Graham's death, here is a brutal and necessary poem by Mohammed El-Kurd. Read "Tonight We Die as a Family" over at The Poetry Society.