Last Stanza Poetry Journal, Issue #3

Book excerpt: Poets in this issue: David Allen, Susie Beiman, Mark Blickley, Kimberly Anne Bolton, Michael Brockley, Michael H. Brownstein, Dan Carpenter, K J Carter, Jan Chronister, Alice Couch, Mary Couch, Curtis L. Crisler, Kim Denning, George Fish, Daniel Godward, James Green, John D. Groppe, John R. Hinton, Liza Hyatt, Kenneth Johnson, Arnold Johnston, LeAnn Jones, Jenny Kalahar, Patrick Kalahar, Jordan Krais, Norbert Krapf, Jim Landwehr, rob mclennan, Lylanne Musselman, Matt Nagin, Noble Poets, Stephen R. Roberts, Kit Rohrbach, Bonita Cox Searle, Mary Sexson, Michael E. Strosahl, Diana Thoresen, Theresa Timmons, David Vancil, Rp Verlaine, James Eric Watkins, George Wylie, and Hiromi Yoshida. These are unusual times. What has altered in your life or the lives of those around you? What angers you? What is better this year than in the past? What will never be the same going forward? Those were the questions asked of poets for this issue. The world is divided along several lines as we head into 2021. The pandemic is unlike anything experienced before. Tensions are running high between coworkers, educators and those they teach, neighbors, and even lifelong friends and family members. Relationships are dissolving Left and Right. The masked and unmasked glare at each other. The air we breathe and the surfaces we touch and the people we love are all potential killers. It's a plexiglass world, muffled and fogged. Family dynamics have shifted dramatically. And that which seems to be salvation-the vaccines-may not end social distancing for a very long time to come. We communicate via screens and signs and tears of longing and frustration. This will undoubtedly be the start and end of too many things. There is likely no one who doesn't know someone who was infected by the coronavirus-or killed by it. Poetry can't solve the toughest problems of society, but maybe it can offer a new perspective on them. There are off-topic poems herein, as well. Touching and funny, surprising and philosophical-they offer the chance to take a break from the stresses and strains eating into every aspect of our daily lives.