Thinking of the dead, the injured, their friends and families in Orlando:

Incomprehensible

In ruin’s wake,
we search for signs,
a meaning writ
where there is nothing
but grief.

I am delighted to report that my poem “Kingship” has been accepted by Fantasy & Science Fiction. Back when I was writing short stories, I had several published in Fantasy & Science Fiction, but this is the first time I’ve sold them a poem. “Kingship” is, unsurprisingly, about King Xau.

It was a good day: I also had a mainstream poem accepted. “Legacy” will appear in After Happy Hour Review 🙂 And in addition I had a King Xau poem, Homecoming, published in Songs of Eretz Poetry Review 🙂

My poems “Solstice” and “Eighty” have both been accepted by Songs of Eretz Poetry Review. The former is from the King Xau epic, but is about his sister Mei; the latter is about my father.

My poem Polar Bears is in Songs of Eretz Poetry Review; “Polar Bears” is a poem about visiting the zoo with Lucy, back when she was only two years old…. In non-poetry news, two huge old trees fell down in our back yard earlier this week. I am particularly sad about the loss of the oak tree.

My poem Further Extracts from the Recollections of Artoch, Senior Advisor to King Xau is online in Mirror Dance 🙂

My poem First Lesson has been published online at Silver Blade 🙂 “First Lesson” is a poem in play format featuring the dragon and Prince Keng (King Xau’s oldest child).

My poem Another Week is in Songs of Eretz Poetry Review; “Another Week” is a poem about King Xau and his son Keng. I also noticed that another King Xau poem, Fault, had been published there in April…. In other news, I think I will have a first draft of the entire epic by early June 🙂

My poem Brighid, first published in first published in Apex Magazine, and subsequently the winner of a Poetry Nook weekly contest, will be reprinted in a Poetry Nook anthology.

My poem “Blaze” is in the latest issue of the Concho River Review 🙂 It’s a poem about my father.

I received my contributor copies of The 2016 Rhysling Anthology, which contains reprints of three poems that first appeared in “Crowned”: “The Washerwoman’s Daughter,” “Training: Stances,” and “Dragonslayer” 🙂 🙂 🙂

And I also received, in the same parcel, my contributor copies of the latest Star*Line, containing another three poems: “The Hobbit,” “Conversations with Household Items,” and “Hero.” The first of these three is autobiographical, the second fictitious, and the third is part of The Sign of the Dragon (a poem from the point of view of Queen Shazia).