POETICS: Poetry Podcast

The poem depicts a train ride home after a Swan Lake performance, where young ballet students in costume process their emotional response to the tragic ending. The speaker observes a crying child-dancer questioning why the Prince didn't choose the White Swan, while her pragmatic mother expresses frustration at the unexpected tears and expensive outing. The poem explores themes of innocence, disill...

The epic poem,"Don Orfeo," by Ron Searls, opens with a sweeping geological and historical preface that establishes the ancient foundation of Florida before introducing us to Don Orfeo, a Spanish soldier exiled to St. Augustine in 1684. Carrying only his ten-stringed guitar, he meets Isabella, a young indigenous woman conscripted to work on the fort's construction. Their love story unfolds through...

"Perfectionism" is a powerful, compact poem that explores the paradoxical trap of control and rigidity. Through stark imagery and a steadily narrowing structure, it reveals how the pursuit of flawless order ultimately creates fragility, culminating in an inevitable, transformative shattering. https://bainbridgeisland.press/products/a-woman-in-pieces The poem traces the journey of perfectionism fro...

In "Trickster," Leah Haight crafts a haunting wilderness metaphor that transforms from a tale of physical survival into a profound meditation on emotional vulnerability. Through vivid imagery of forest hideaways and animal instincts, the poem reveals the exhausting vigilance of someone evading emotional pain, only to discover that hope itself is the ultimate trickster that cannot be outrun. Get fu...

Today, we are exploring in this poem a solitary figure who navigates the concrete landscape of modern urban life, where personal identity dissolves into the city's persistent rhythm. The poet creates contrasts between personal experiences and city surroundings—sins written in chalk beside riverfront walkways, childhood memories projected onto office buildings, and factory smokestacks standing sile...

Join us as Ben Rockwood, co-founder of Bainbridge Island Press, shares Jorge Luis Borges' haunting poem "The Moon." In this intimate reading, Ben explores how Borges transforms our familiar celestial companion into something both ancient and new, bridging mythology, memory, and the moon's timeless presence in human imagination. Through Borges' masterful verses, we'll discover how the same moon tha...

Hey poetry lovers! Elisabeth Sharp McKetta's "Hey, Coyote" asks - what if you're both the outlaw and the poet? What if language itself is contraband? And that Coyote figure... well, they might just be you. Come hang out with us and listen to me bang on my desk with my hands (thanks, microphone) for a spell while we explore this wild ride of a poem. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bai...

If you are interested in how liminal spaces can be used in poetry through pieces of time, this is the place for you. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

If you are interested in rediscovering your wild nature, your past self, and finding a harmony between the domestic self and the coyote…we’ve got’cha covered. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we explore Adelia Ritchie's haunting poem 'Night Shroud,' a meditation on sleepless nights and lingering regret. Through imagery and rhythmic progression, Ritchie brings together insomnia, self-doubt, and emotional isolation into a powerful nocturnal reflection. Join us as we examine how she builds tension through carefully chosen metaphors culminating in that devastating final qu...

Join us for an exploration of Tamarah Rockwood's poem "Dear Enemy" from her 2023 collection "A, B." In this episode, we navigate the definitions, symbolism, mythology, and roles of villains. This episode goes into how poetry can help us understand what villains look like in many forms…such as a Dear Enemy. If you like talking about fairies, wolves, witches, birds, and bicycles, this is the podcast...

Join us for an exploration of David Cazden's poem "Feral Dogs of Chernobyl" from his 2024 collection "New Stars & Constellations." In this episode, we navigate the unexpected teachers of resilience – the dogs that have made their home in an abandoned landscape. Through Cazden's lens, these survivors become a metaphor for human perseverance, showing us how to move forward through our own mistakes....

If you have ever read Pritchard’s poetry, you know it is just a journey of wonder, order, imagination, risk, and language. Ben Rockwood explores the luminous “The Matrix” on today’s episode that you don’t want to miss. Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

If you want a deep dive into the archetype of tricksters, this is the place. I kinda get into a few tangents of tricksters, who they are, what they do, and how the poet becomes a trickster through clever wiles. I think you want to hear this, don’t you? Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

https://bainbridgeisland.press/collections/books A, B. is an exquisite exploration of the human heart, capturing its vulnerabilities, strength, and resilience. With every turn of the page, readers are transported into a realm of profound emotions, inspiring them to embrace the beauty of the human experience and the resilience of the human spirit. Rockwood's poignant verses leave an indelible mark...

This is Episode 8 of POETICS Podcast. Tamarah Rockwood introduces a poem from “POETICS: Coyote,” published by Bainbridge Island Press in 2024. Written by sterling poet and luminary, Josh Feit . Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

This is Episode 7 of POETICS Podcast (I say it’s episode 6, but it’s episode 7!). Tamarah Rockwood explores the lens of empathy with "While he told me," by Sharon Olds from her book of poems, "Stag’s Leap.” Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

This is Episode 6 of POETICS Podcast. Tamarah Rockwood explores the lens of empathy with "Notes on Pigs," by Jenny George from her book of poems, "The Dream of Reason." Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Co-founder and host Ben Rockwood invites you on a magical journey through one of literature's most captivating poems. In this episode, Rockwood explores Jorge Borges’s poem "The Moon," breaking down its themes of loneliness and resilience. In this episode, Rockwood looks at the meaning behind one of Borges’s works, connecting it to readers today. Through discussion of Borges’s style, Rockwood guid...

Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Bainbridge Island Press at bainbridgeislandpress.substack.com/subscribe

Host Tamarah Rockwood dives into how poetry connects us across time, writing human truths through symbols and metaphors that cross cultures. In this episode, she reads her poem "Actually," using it as a lens to explore how poets preserve moments, memories, and meaning through their work. Through both ancient and modern examples, Rockwood shows how poetry serves as a bridge between past and future...

Host Ben Rockwood explores Charles Bukowski's poem "Balloons," breaking down its themes of loneliness and defiance. In this first episode, Rockwood looks at the meaning behind one of Bukowski's works, connecting it to readers today. Through discussion of Bukowski's style, Rockwood guides listeners through a poem that has challenged and moved readers for decades. Get full access to Bainbridge Islan...