we sing to make breathing interesting enough to continue

A new verse from new contributor Petra Schmidt: 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 NO(T)ICE — Petra Schmidt

Ida Lupino as nightclub singer Petey Brown in “The Man I Love” (1947) — on TCM Tuesday morning 9:15am CT. #TCMParty

Of course, gratitude should be a daily thing, but in this season of giving thanks, I am thankful for every one of you who has ever read and/or submitted to this journal. It is because of your support that this survives. Thank you for all the kind words given & all the weird verses entrusted to me.

Anybody see Southside 1-1000? The nightclub scene: is the waitress not Beverly Michaels?

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗣𝗼𝗲𝗺 with a one word title — Bob Carlton

Dadakuku is now back open for submissions, with a new working submission form! Give it a go! dadakuku.com

A new verse from returning contributor Peter Jastermsky: on ce IN A blu e MO On D y stop ia — Peter Jastermsky

A new verse from returning contributor Sean G. Meggeson: 𝗲𝗿𝗿 or er os — Sean G. Meggeson

Even among the usual standout quality of poetry concentrate on offer at Five Fleas, these really stand out. I don't know who Mathew Borczon is, but he knocks it out of the park. And an absolutely gorgeous haiku by Sarah Mahina Calvello. And that is barely scratching the surface, so to speak.

The Futility of War

Living one: you move among many/dancers and don't know which/you are the shadow of Denis Johnson

A new verse from returning contributor Lucien Levant: Surreal is m is direction — Lucien Levant

FAFO

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 a few dozen donates and a couple cops of ICE cuffin’ — Bob Carlton

Just in case there's anyone out there who's not absolutely clear on this. No. No kings. Never.

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 call me robert call me bob — Bob Carlton

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗔 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 flesh torn a part by a sent tense frag meant — Bob Carlton

Even when your own heart is your loom, / someone may have woven that textile before Lu Ji

That is the problem of silence: one cannot test one's ideas. Because they are not ideas, they are the truth. Louise Gluck

Thought for the day: responsibility is not infringement.

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳 just in just ice — Bob Carlton

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗠𝗶𝘀 under stood over lying fact or — Bob Carlton

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗗𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗜 broke– that’s me — Bob Carlton

Americans don't know what tragedy is -- Charles Bukowski

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 the Verb i am demands a preposition to stand : with — Bob Carlton

You know how water fills a cup? It BECOMES that cup. --Bruce Lee

Join the new Dada revolution! Submit nonsense to jam up the works! (Use a VPN, Opera browsers have one built-in, among others)

the worst men have the best jobs/ the best men have the worst jobs or are/unemployed or locked in/ madhouses./I have 4 cans of food left./air-conditioned troops go from house to/house/from room to room/jailing, shooting, bayoneting/ the people./we have done this to ourselves, we/deserve this Buk

Dadakuku now has a merch shop! Various designs including ones based on the anthology covers, products like shirts, hats, mugs, check it out!

Strange that this glass cup shaped like a trumpet is of more interest than the unknown Saxon with whom it was buried. Carl Rakosi

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 lette r by l etter — Bob Carlton

A new nanoverse from new contributor Rashmi VeSa: blasfamous sacrilegislator — Rashmi VeSa

I don't know how many bottles of beer I have consumed while waiting for things to get better. Charles Bukowski

Dude. I'm Pissed. youtube.com/shorts/zBYoY...

Hail and farewell, Bob Uecker.

I looked at the ocean and the ocean looked good, full of blues and greens and sharks. Charles Bukowski

Always an honor to be selected for tsuri-dōrō, many thanks to editor Tony Pupello for including my verse that is definitely inspired by the kind of conditions experienced here in the Pacific Northwest.

A new verse from returning contributor Richard Magahiz: 𝗖𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗺 the sighing of lovers converted to waste heat repurposing such bad poetry — Richard Magahiz

A new verse from returning contributor @bobcarlton3.bsky.social: 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 o no now snow — Bob Carlton

A new verse from returning contributor Joshua St. Claire: it girl her i’s — Joshua St. Claire dadakuku.com/2025/01/02/6...

A new verse from returning contributor Evan H. Brisson: [𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘆] white ram- rod w/ cheese — Evan H. Brisson

A new verse from returning contributor @chadpoetforhire.bsky.social: 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲 In Season of Nope Trump Grift Suspires — Chad Parenteau

If I suffer at this typewriter think how I'd feel among the lettuce- pickers of Salinas? --Charles Bukowski

A reminder that T. S. Eliot had the problems of today figured out 103 years ago in his essay and poetry collection "The Sacred Wood."