Sad news today. XJ "Joe" Kennedy—a giant of poetry and great friend to Light—has died at 96. We’ll share more about him and his work soon. For now, here’s one of our favorites of his: #XJKennedy @aestallings.bsky.social @colemanglenn.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social

PRIORITIES by Greg Beam Healthcare, housing, safer schools—small asks. But they would rather pay for men in masks. Click link in thread for all 12 Poems of the Week #ICE #immigration #civilrights lightpoetrymagazine.com#potw

Happy #MLKDay! Since strolling through national parks is no longer free today, how about a little scrolling? Our POEMS OF THE WEEK take you from #Minneapolis to #Mar-a-Lago, with views of #Manhattan, #Ireland, the Amazon (.com) & more. Click link in thread for all 8, starting with... #ICE #ReneeGood

I have a poem on this topic! @lightpoetrymag.bsky.social lightpoetrymagazine.com/stephanie-bu...

Whatever and however you're celebrating this week, we wish you happiness, peace, and good luck! (Click link in thread for all six Poems of the Week.) #DryChristmas #Dryholidays @paullander.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social

Trump’s Rob Reiner Truth Social post changed geographic history forever, Marianna Trench is no longer the lowest place on earth a person has gone.

There’s no escaping the singularly unfunny week we’ve all had. Still, we hope Poems of the Week can give you a little respite from the grimness. And to everyone celebrating #Hanukkah, we wish you eight light-filled days and nights! lightpoetrymagazine.com#potw

Happy birthday, #EmilyDickinson! Imagine if you were writing today… #AI #avatars

To read all our #Pushcart nominees, finalists and longlisters, click link in thread and scroll down…

Hilarious stuff in today’s Invitational—including verse by a number of Light fixtures

Thank ya @newversenews.bsky.social and Sir Tom Stoppard. Playwriting GOAT. open.substack.com/pub/thenewve...

No soup for you (if you're rich)! (Click link in thread for all 11 Poems of the Week.) #soup #Campbells #NoraJay @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social @paullander.bsky.social @faithsalie.bsky.social @colemanglenn.bsky.social

I have a poem about this question! @lightpoetrymag.bsky.social TY @johannawinant.bsky.social lightpoetrymagazine.com/stephanie-bu...

This just blew my mind a bit

POLITICS-FREE ZONE by Bruce Bennett Thanksgiving’s upon us, O My! We’ll hunch at our tables and try To be civil and cool As some doddering fool Does his best to make all of us cry. *Click link in thread for all 7 Poems of the Week--guaranteed to distract your fam from misuse of the carving knife

Enough about what *people* are saying after the #shutdown... #governmentshutdown #NationalZoo #animals #animalhumor @paullander.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social @colemanglenn.bsky.social

Thanks, @paullander.bsky.social (and #JackieChan)!

OMG this attn @rvtrousdale.bsky.social @lightpoetrymag.bsky.social

Woot. Woot. Thank ya @counterpointtoons.bsky.social for including this doodle by me and @cartoonydan.bsky.social along with the amazing group of usual suspects on the Substack

My Ode to the Merlin app, with thanks to Light magazine, and including a link to a polyphonic reading, from the Sewanee workshop: lightpoetrymagazine.com/a-e-stalling...

November’s here: as T. Hood said In lines you probably have read, This means “No sun… no shine.” Yeah, right. It’s clear he never saw the Light. In other words, our summer-fall issue has arrived, with dozens of pages to brighten your month... lightpoetrymagazine.com #humor #comedy #satire #poetry

I hope someone is writing "12 Hangry Men" about the sandwich guy jury

By renovating the Lincoln bedroom bathroom during a government shutdown all that’s missing is Melania saying: ‘Let them eat urinal cake.’

So long, officer of the peace. Hello, officer of the pizza... (Click link in thread for all 9 #PoemsOfTheWeek) #pizza #police #policeofficer

MY TRAUMATIC MEMORIES OF A "HATE AMERICA" RALLY *click lefthand photo for poem... and for all 5 Poems of the Week, click link in thread* #nokings @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social @paullander.bsky.social @michaelgerber.bsky.social #democrats #protests

In which #EddieAderne answers the burning question: what if #Cyrano were writing now? *Click link in thread for all 11 Poems of the Week* #loveletters #AI #Rostand @aestallings.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social @paullander.bsky.social @colemanglenn.bsky.social

Once carried Diane Keaton’s shopping bags home. Thought at first, lady, go easy on Annie Hall look. Then I was like holy shit it’s Annie Hall. So nice, and a great tipper. Another Zelig moment.. La de da.

First, #TravisKelce got an NSFW song. Now he gets a poem that may or may not make your mom blush … *click link in thread for all 10 Poems of the Week* #TaylorSwift @michaelgerber.bsky.social @paullander.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social

Before you enjoy our 8 Poems of the Week—on a champ of chimps, some chimplike chumps & more (link in thread)—please join us in celebrating Light’s Best of the Net nominees for July ‘24 through June ‘25 (link in thread takes you to all the poems)! #BestOfTheNet #poetrycommunity

So delighted to learn that a poem published in Light was a Best of the Net finalist for 2025! Many thanks to the anthology's editors, and congrats to #SamanthaPious on receiving this honor for "The Curator." #poetryhonors #poetry #writingcommunity @aestallings.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social

Is the poet's punny pen mightier than POTUS's poison pen? Cast yer votes here... (Click link in thread for all 8 #PoemsOfTheWeek) #autopen #Biden #DissedByPOTUS @paullander.bsky.social @michaelgerber.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social

Good news! They haven’t come for us yet—& our poets continue to bravely rhyme it how it is (or soon might be) *Click link in thread for all 8 #PoemsOfTheWeek #liberty #freedom #statueofliberty #immigration #immigrants @michaelgerber.bsky.social @paullander.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social

Monkeying around on @lightpoetrymag.bsky.social lightpoetrymagazine.com/poems-of-the...

Trump asks Supreme Court to let him fire Lisa Cook from Federal Reserve. And if that fail Giuliani says he’ll take it higher to the parking lot at the Supreme Courtyard at Marriott

Too good.

Slow news is good news... (For all 8 #PoemsOfTheWeek, click link in thread) #slimesofourtimes #slugs #gastropods @paullander.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social @michaelgerber.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social @colemanglenn.bsky.social

Democracy: deader than we thought? *Click link in thread for all 10 #PoemsOfTheWeek* #politics #humor #UKpolitics #comedy #funnypoems #satire @aestallings.bsky.social @michaelgerber.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social @colemanglenn.bsky.social @paullander.bsky.social

Mike Johnson Says Trump Took Epstein Rumors Seriously, Served As FBI Informant. That’s like Dahmer saying he was actually an undercover agent for Food and Drug Administration.

Need a fun read-aloud for your #LaborDay cookout? We’ve got you covered (or not) with news-verse on thong bikinis, stolen art, Cracker Barrel, Travis and Tay-Tay, the year’s best pillows, and—sorry!—food poisoning. Click link in comments for all 6 #humor #comedy #satire #lightverse #funnypoems

Not only did I write this, but I also escaped that cursed washing machine in the 5th-floor Roman walkup.

Some well-deserved love for Light contributing editor #GailWhite! #lightversemasters @aestallings.bsky.social @paullander.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social @colemanglenn.bsky.social @michaelgerber.bsky.social tinyurl.com/36vduk6d

An update for those following the kerfuffle over a Danish zoo's quest for carnivore feed... *Click link in thread for all 12 #PoemsOfTheWeek #lionfeeding #pony #ponies #pets #zoos #denmark @paullander.bsky.social @michaelgerber.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social

They’re gonna paint the border wall black. That way they won’t have to teach about it in school.

Yes, we've got a poem about The Sandwich. Plus a poem about a lottery winner’s plans for a better sandwich. In between: fillings ranging from edible (Green Eggs and Ham, potato chips) to incredible (a vanished lake, a glam coal campaign). Eat up all nine at link in thread #sandwichguy #subway

Thank ya @lightpoetrymag.bsky.social for pubbing this one and Happy Birthday Steve Martin lightpoetrymagazine.com/poems-of-the...

As temps soar and sink, we’ve got verse ranging from wildfire-hot to #ICE-cold... *Click link in thread for all 8 #PoemsOfTheWeek* #LucilleBall #DesiArnaz #TimothySteele @paullander.bsky.social @juliekanepoet.bsky.social @aestallings.bsky.social @michaelgerber.bsky.social @allisonpoet.bsky.social

Honored to have had Wendy Cope in our pages multiple times over the years!