Thursday, February 26, 2026

Annoying Thought of the Day

Why is it when I'm dealing with people who have anxiety or other issues, their default setting when talking to me is snide bitch? 

Greetings from Warmer Climes

 

This week The Arts Fuse welcomes San Francisco poet Marina Lazzara.


Look It Up

James Van Looy's poem column is ready for you to read. Check out It's All One Thing over at Oddball Magazine. 

 

Jules Nyquist Features at Stone Soup Poetry, 2-25-26

From this week's online gathering. Thanks to Jules for a wonderful respite from the cold and snow. Visit the Jules' Poetry Playhouse website to buy her books and learn about her any events.

 

 


Bye to February

Maybe now we can say bye to all the snowstorms and other insanity. Thanks to Jules Nyquist for a wonderful performance. Be sure to visit her website, Jules' Poetry Playhouse, for all her books and events. 


Wednesday, February 25, 2026

This Was a Long Day

Tonight I go home and resume Stone Soup Poetry.

Jules Nyquist is our long-awaited feature for tonight. 

I hope you will join us. 


Dolphin Sightings

The few good dolphin shots I was able to take. 


Part Seven of Our Dolphin Tour

A moment of triumph with music that might be too deep of a cut. 

 


Part Six of Our Dolphin Tour

They stole the show for a little bit. 


Part Five of Our Dolphin Tour

Dude even snuck in a trans/Olympics joke. Ah, Florida. 

 


Part Four of Our Dolphin Tour

There had better be dolphins. 


Part Three of Our Dolphin Tour

The adventure continues. 


Fried

Poet Frankie Elliot and photographer Jury S. Judge closes off Oddball Magazine. Thank  you for reading us this Wednesday. 

Sometimes Less Means Less


Read my poem Hysterical Revisionism" over at dadakuku and check out the rest of petro c.k.'s wonderful journal. 


Part Two of Our Dolphin Tour

Actual footage from the dolphin tour is coming, I promise! 


The State of Pride

To cleanse our palatet from last night, here's a fiction piece from Robin J. Bartley with artwork by Eric N. Peterson. We start off Wednesday right at Oddball Magazine. 

Put Him In, Coach!

 

lan Mochari is ready to play in this week's Lyrical Somerville for The Somerville Times.


You've Been Waiting a While

Tonight we finally see Jules Nyquist feature at Stone Soup Poetry.

Flyer: Jules Shows Stone Soup Her Poetry Playbook. - Poet philanthropist Jules Nyquist reads has her long-awaited Stone Soup Poetry feature. - Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 7:00-9:00 P.M. ET - Open mic included! Donations appreciated! - Visit https://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/ for the Zoom link

Room for Rent

It makes me sad seeing a room for rent at $1,000 a month (albeit everything included). When I got out of the city for three months in 2002, the best offers I had were sharing a room with three other people at $600 a month. When I cam back, I shared a room for $500 with two other people and eventually got a studio in Jamaica Plain for less than a thousand. Times change.


You Have to Have Hope

Trump took a swipe at trans youth last night. Makes me hope the person who wrote this graffiti is still alive and around in Boston.

 

A Moment of Comics

I'll be buying a physical copy of this recently leaked issue after hearing concerns from at least one black creator that DC is intentionally trying to sabotage the Dakotaverse part of it's division. The last page of the epilogue of New History of the DC Universe: The Dakota Incident written by Nicholas Draper-Ivey with art by Edwin Galmon. 


Part One of Our Dolphin Tour

I would’ve put “and then we died last Wednesday” right here, but the minute I post again you’re not going to believe me. 


American Haiku: Trump's Final Message

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: Trump State of the Union Leaked

America has
shit itself before the world,
and you applauded. You applauded.


Happy Birthday, Brandon Diehl

Glad I read your work recently. 

Happy Birthday, Ben Mazer

 


Just Missed It

We missed our connecting flight on Sunday. We planned to sneak into the Melania movie if we had gotten in earlier, but by the next day, not even off season Florida would keep showing the film. #america #2026


Your Wednesday Morning Poetry

 

I came across this poem while looking for Jeffrey Epstein poems written by women. Not sure how it came up, but I am grateful for the discovery. Read Caludia Rankine's "From 'Don’t Let Me Be Lonely' [There was a time]" on Poets.org. 


Tuesday, February 24, 2026

The Long Way Home

Now that I've posted a bunch of my vacation photos from last week, Here's a photo of me trying to walk part of the way home yesterday. I hope the sidewalks are a bit better tonight I have to stop a couple of stores.


In Motion

Girlfirend at the Wheel

My girlfriend waiting next to the PCB wheel waiting for me while I take pictures and check to see if the Melania "documentary" was still in the nearby theater (it wasn't). 


Last Week's Vacation

Around this time last week, my girlfriend and I took a ride on the PCB Wheel. It wasn't nighttime, but it was a lovely view. 

Always Good to Keep a Sunset in Your Pocket

The Chad Parenteau's Lost Causes newsletter for February 25 is up now at Substack.

a Video Postcard I Sent from Panama City Beach

Taken in a Build-A-Bear. 



Not Done Yet

Jason Wright's newest Jagged Thought is up now at Oddball Magazine. 

 

Timely Lunch Poem


Shipshape in a Sh-tstorm, Part Seven: Armchair Prophecy. Read it on my Patreon.


One Aisle Open

Poet Garrett Alexander goes shopping for us today with help from photographer Edward S. Gault. Welcome to Tuesday 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: I FLY BEACHES Wireless
The actual Panama City airport's WiFi name. God...

Happy Birthday, Bernadette Martonik

Keep writing. 


Happy Birthday, Ira Joel Haber

Still love this art I got to use this year!

Happy Birthday, Marvin Louis Dorsey


 


Happy Birthday, Joanna Ballard

 


Yesterday’s Blizzard Commute

 “Riders on the Storm” was too on the nose.


Monday, February 23, 2026

What Did You Do Today?

I enjoyed the silence. 

Do You Know?

Poet Lynn White and photography Jack Marty are back for the three o'clock spot on Oddball Magazine. 


Cancelled: The Contro-Verse Open Mic at Urban Media Arts in Malden with Shannon O'Connor

The feature has been moved to April 27. Click here for more information.


Missed Valentine's Day?

Anne Skove has your back with her comic for this week. Read "She Who Laughs Lasts" now at Oddball Magazine. 


We Made It

Eventually we made it to our Panama City destination and the girlfriend was able to feel warmth for a short while. Sure, we're back in the blizzard now, but she'll be happy we have proof we were warm last week. Right?


Last Week's Adventure, Continued


Monday Comes on Time


It's Later Now, Part Twenty-Five: Diagnosed. Read it on my Patreon.

The Frogs Come Out

Glad to have my photography paired with a poem about the latest protest fad by Kaleb Wilson. Monday and the new week marches on at Oddball Magazine. 

The Time Has Come

Jules Nyquist features at Stone Soup Poetry this Wednesday.

Flyer: Jules Shows Stone Soup Her Poetry Playbook. - Poet philanthropist Jules Nyquist reads has her long-awaited Stone Soup Poetry feature. - Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 7:00-9:00 P.M. ET - Open mic included! Donations appreciated! - Visit https://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/ for the Zoom link

Oh, Yeah, the Storm

In case my vacation photos and videos from last week are confusing you, make no mistake. I'm home and stuck commuting in the current storm. Back in Panama City, there were days so overcast with fog, I called them undercast, overcast to the point that the obstruction looks like it's coming up from the ground rather than from the sky. This is undercast on a whole other level.


Flying form Boston Haiku


By the Exit door!
I'm the literal wingman
who will get you killed.

First Vacay TikTok

 


Just So You Know

So two Sundays ago, my girlfriend and I headed out to Panama City, Florida for the week. I sent this photo to my Mom before we took off from Boston with the caption "The view!" Clearly my view got better. This week I'll be sharing TikTok videos I was filming throughout the trip. I had fun. 


Happy Birthday, Billy Burgos

 

 


Getting Closer

The "Why?" graffiti from the person I dubbed Why Guy (not my intention to misgender you) still has this piece of graffiti up about nine years later. Hope it lasts until it's tenth anniversary even as it looks like America won't last past it's 250th. 


This Week's Friendly Reminder

Another public service announcement.

MIni-Flyer: Keeping ICE off our streets: THINK YOU SEE ICE? - Call the LUCE Hotline! - 617-370-5023 - Open from: 5am - 9 pm Every Day - Want to help confirm ICE sightings or answer hotline calls? Scan here: Or sign up to volunteer at: lucemass.org - Give to support familes impacted by Ice at operationmilkweed.org or donate to support the hotline at lucemass.org

My Monday Morning Music

Guitarist and songwriter Greg Brown of Cake and writing of the band's penultimate song "The Distance" passed away last week. I'll be focusing on that song today and will look at other songs he penned.


 


Sunday, February 22, 2026

The Silence Before the Storm

Going out to shovel ahead of the snowfall.

Have to move back the piles we have so the new snow has somewhere to go.

The snow wall by our driveway is too high. 

I hope this storm turns out to be overhyped.

But I doubt that will be the case.

 

Old Friends

Another photo of LUCCI in honor of his birthday. Seen here with Toni Bee after his feature on December 9, 2013. There are people I need to contact today.


Starting Up the Hype

Arthur "Stratusfier" Williams is Stone Soup Poetry's first March feature.

Flyer: In March, Stone Soup Goes to the Stratusfier - Arthur “Stratusfier” Williams kicks off March for Stone Soup Poetry. - Wednesday, March 4, 2026, 7:00-9:00 P.M. ET - Open mic included! Donations appreciated! - Visit https://stonesouppoetry.blogspot.com/ for the Zoom link

Happy Birthday, Ameer Nasir Amin

 

 


Happy Birthday, Joan Mazza

 

 


LUCCI Performs a Poem as Adam Sandler's "The Waterboy"

From the poet's feature on December 19, 2013. LUCCI was not afraid to be disturbing or just silly in his work. This is one of the latter examples, published on the second birthday since his passing.

 

 


Your Weekly Dose of God

People leave religious pamphlets at my job all the time. To leave a Valentine's Day themed pamphlet for February and a pamphlet with Abraham Lincoln on its cover so close to Presidents Day seems less like the actions of benevolent pilgrims and more like crude marketing techniques from an institution. 


Saturday, February 21, 2026

March 4: Stone Soup Takes You to the Stratusfier

Arthur "Stratusfier" Williams has been a good friend to Stone Soup Poetry. I've wanted to get him back, but I got in my own way. Fortunately, I'm used to being my own worst enemy and finally got him back for 2026. Arthur will be kicking off the month of March. I hope you'll all be in attendance for his performance. 

Join us on Wednesday March 4 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM ET by clicking this link.

The meeting ID is 898 1226 2346

Password: stonesoup 


Winter Haiku

 
Dude, you got lazy.
God went outside without you.
Carry yourself, bitch. 

 

Happy Birthday, Laura Lamb Brown-Lavoie

 

 


Happy Birthday, Zachary Kluckman

 

1


My Saturday Haiku for Bluesky, 2-21-26

 
Almost ran out of
things you could say about snow,
but now it's heavy!

Friday, February 20, 2026

Happy Birthday, Gilmore Tamny

 

 


Happy Belated Birthday, Anna V. Q. Ross

 

 


Happy Belated Birthday, Strider Marcus Jones

 

 


My Friday Evening Music

One more for Florida, for no reason whatsoever.

 

 


But First, the Laptop

 
 
The Chad Parenteau's Lost Causes newsletter for February 20 is up now at Substack.

A Timely Eulogy

Luis Lázaro Tijerina has a poem on the ongoing death of art in a special post over at Oddball Magazine. Thanks for reading us this week.

Monday: The Contro-Verse Open Mic at Urban Media Arts in Malden with Shannon O'Connor

From 7:00 to 8:00 PM. Doors open at 6:30 PM. At Urban Media Arts on 145 Pleasant Street in Malden, MA. Hosted by Anna Geoffroy and Ethan Mackler. Click here for more information.


A Festival of Wisdom

Bruce Wises with Wise Words is up now at Oddball Magazine. 

Darkness in Translation

 

Nidia Hernández's poem translated by Rowena Hill is featured this week at The Arts Fuse.


Slushing

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

My Monday Morning Music

For no particular reason.



Leopards Eating Faces Update!

 

Eric Trump: "No, Daddy, No! Bitcoin leopards don't hurt as much as real leopards!"