Confessions of a Submissions Editor<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When reading other poets
\nI have a pen ready to underline,
\ncircle,
\nslash through words
\nsounding disabled
\nor weak
\nor unnecessary
\nor common
\nor boring.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, depending on the weather,
\nI can amputate whole limbs
\nwith a straight line,
\nrecalling my attachment to old prosthetics
\nwith screws that beep in public places
\nsuch as airports and department stores\u2014
\nsince, and maybe because of the sludge of raining months,
\nthe artificial has voice.<\/p>\n
Worse than a pen though, are saws
\nclearing trees on ridges\u2014
\nthe solitary thud generating dusty clouds,
\nand mostly, gaps between things.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Laura Schaeffer<\/a> is employed with Housing Kitsap in Bremerton and serves as the Resident Services Coordinator. She has been piling up her writing under her bed for most of her life, though she came out of the closet during her college years and earned a BA in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis from the UW. Schaeffer writes, “I\u2019ve decided that I\u2019m going to share my poems from now on because maybe, through my own hardships and struggles, I\u2019ve learned something about giving.” She lives in Kingston.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Confessions of a Submissions Editor When reading other poets I have a pen ready to underline, circle, slash through words sounding disabled or weak or unnecessary or common or boring. Sometimes, depending on the weather, I can amputate whole … Continue reading