THE SECRETS OF POETS: An Anthology

Meritage Press sponsored a series "Secrets Among Poets" during March-April 2019. Several poets sent secrets and poems that ultimately generated the tiny (1-3/4" x 2-1/4") anthology The Secrets of Poets (SECRETS).  Each poet's contribution consists of a secret and a poem. Here are its contents, with poets listed in reverse alphabetical order:

The Secret Ring by Susan Terris

The Secret of Stars by Eileen Tabios

My Secret Diet by Cristina Querrer

Full Faith Secret by Jim McCrary

Secret Postcard by Agnes Marton

The Secret of True Forgiveness by Neil Leadbeater

EGY KONKRÉT TITOK (A Concrete Secret; untranslated from Hungarian) by Marton Koppany

My Sophoclean Secret by John Bloomberg-Rissman

Secrets Under the String by John M. Bennett

My Secret Note of Attraction by Brian Cain Aene 

While the poets' secrets will remain private in the one-off print anthology that is SECRETS (Meritage Press, 2019), the poets' poems are presented here for your enjoyment -- except for two poets who wrote their secrets within their poems.

From The Secret of Stars by Eileen Tabios

APRIL

Ping! We’re alerted

The space station is flying

Over our slumped heads—

Eyes opened, we rush outside

To be reminded of stars

*

From My Secret Diet by Cristina Querrer

WHAT DOES STARVATION LOOK LIKE?

It’s not the face 

of an impoverished child.

It’s not the cavernous crevices 

of my grandfather’s skin.

It’s not the hollowed tree 

that could not stand anymore.

Actually, it is all of these things.

It is for the times 

I’ve asked you to look at me, 

that I’ve needed an answer,

at the very least, an echo

of a solid stance.

It is for the time

I am at the precipice

about to turn 

the corner on a moment,

about to close the book—

then you feed me a short line.

I am a shipwreck 

starving for its majestic past.

I am an abandoned swing-set 

starving for happy children.

Insert an endless want,

a need.

*

From Full Faith Secret by Jim McCrary

from “WHAT THIS TOWN (LAWRENCE) NEEDS IS MORE MONKS"

3

One thing for sure

There are more gongs than guns

In Laos and even though

The USA tried mighty hard to introduce

Military hardware into the culture

They failed and it is obvious why

Gongs are followed by prayers

4

We met a woman

As we walked in a lane

We asked her what she had been

Doing at the temple?

“Putting up lights!” was her answer

And there was no reason at all to ask

Any more

Questions.

*

From The Secret of True Forgiveness by Neil Leadbeater

The Secret of True Forgiveness

To wipe the slate. Begin again.

Isn’t that what we all want?

Peace breaking out all over.

Every nation stepping forward

with such largesse

saying “We forgive you”

in heroic dactylic hexameters

so that no-one owes anyone 

anything but grace.

Surely we can do that

for the sake of the world.

*

From EGY KONKRÉT TITOK (A Concrete Secret; untranslated from Hungarian) by Marton Koppany

*

From My Sophoclean Secret by John Bloomberg Rissman

As Peter Carter said

To Conductor 71 

As the two ascended 

A supernatural staircase

In "A Matter of Life and Death":

As Plato said Sophocles said
"I’m only too glad to be rid of all that, 

it’s like escaping from bondage 

To a raving madman."

*

From Secrets Under the String by John M. Bennett

Be  bl

ank  le

ak  w  alk

s  l ea  f  r

ends

*

From My Secret Note of Attraction by Brian Cain Aene

Tankas from Evocare

Portrait 41:

Does

Love cure

Our momentary illusion?

That you and I

Are righteous to do this?

Portrait 21:

The stars above you

Are manifestations that

There’s light in darkness

And all that’s needed to do

Is look up, to where He is