My work in Poetic Diversity

To read it, visit : http://www.poeticdiversity.org/main/poems-cp.php?recordID=2308&date=2016-11-01

BIO

Sofia Kioroglou is a two-time award-winning poet, author of two poetry books, flash fiction writer of “Cubicle Coma”, forthcoming in Books’ Journal & Planodion, and is a prolific blogger from Greece. Her poems are included in many anthologies, including the Poetry Against Terror, Poetry Against Inequality, Greek Universal Values, and a number of literary journals that include Verse-Virtual, Lunaris Review, Writink Page, Silver Birch Press, Halkyon Days, Ashvamegh, Fractal.gr, and Winamop, to name but a few. She is a member of the Poets Unite Worldwide. To learn more about her work, visit sofiakioroglou.wordpress.com.

My Bougainvillea
Big and rowdy,
loud and lovely,
it stands on my porch
sprawling with filiform tentacles
the thorn-armored canes
my bougainvillea uses as claws
to etch indelible memories of
unforgettable summers on my mind
such beautiful tattoos and tulle ballet wreaths
the vigorous Raspberry Ice variety traces with its pointe shoes

copyright 2016 Sofia Kioroglou

Editor’s note
volume 13 number 2 November 2016

We have a new regime change.
I’ve heard many of my friends say they fear for the future, for liberty, the ethics of the U.S. Constitution, and freedom of expression. It’s starting to look dark on the horizon, as many people emerge from the shadows to dismantle eight years of progress. Literacy, education, equality, and diversity are being in danger of being rolled back, and racism is growing day by day.
On the flip side, I’ve also seen many posts on social media, and had many a rousing conversation about turning adversity into opportunity. Resistance breeds creativity, fosters expression through art and poetry. What may end up being a dark time politically could also become one of the brightest times in global artistic and literary history. I for one, am looking forward to publishing the poetry and prose of the next four years.
Now, for some announcements.

It’s that time of year – again – where poeticdiversity nominates the work of poets and writers for various awards. This year saw a lot of top quality work come into my email box/submissions box, and it’s never easy to choose one poem/short story over another.

1) For Sundress Publications Best of the Net Anthology nominations (2016): Creative Non-fiction: G. Murray Thomas (“A Personal History of Rock ‘n’ Roll: Spoken Word”, April 2016). Fiction: Carol Schwalberg (“Knock Out”, April, 2016), and Lynne Bronstein (“A Present for the Teacher”, April 2016). Poetry: Gwyndyn Alexander (“Poet in Atlantis” , Nov. 2015) , Deborah Edler Brown (“Taller Than the Moon”, Nov. 2015), Frank Mundo (“Aubade”, Nov. 2015), Angel Uriel Perales (“Minuet of the Burning Fields”, April 2016), Ben Trigg (“Shoes”, April 2016) , and
Viola Weinberg
(“Salvador Dali Takes His Anteater For A Walk, April 2016).
2) For Pushcart, Best of the Small Presses nominations (2015): Fiction: Peter Barlow (“A Wake”, Nov. 2016). Poetry: Carla Criscoulo (“Suburbia”, Nov. 2016), John LaMar Elison (“Voyage of the Super Commuter”, Nov. 2016), Amelie Frank (“Muscle”, Nov. 2016), Dani Raschel Jimenez (“Ramen in Dallas on Friday, Nov. 2016), and Lois P Jones (“Self Portrait”, April 2016).

Enjoy this issue!
Featured Poets: Jonathan Beale, J de Salvo, Darren C Demaree, Amelie Frank, Jerry Garcia, Terry McCarty, Akor Emmanuel Oche , Greg Patrick, Alison Ross, Cody Rukasin, Viola Weinberg,and Kelley White.

Prose Feature: George Korolog

Contributing Poets/Writers: Inalegwu Omapada Alifa , Maria A Arana, Shawn Aveningo, Peter Barlow, Wendy Bourke , Jack G Bowman, Alan Britt, Lynne Bronstein, Adam Levon Brown, Jeffrey Bryant, Don Kingfisher Campbell, Alicia Carpenter, Patricia Carragon, Natalie Crick, Carla Criscoulo, Frank De Canio , Marvin Louis Dorsey, Miguel Eichelberger, John LaMar Elison, Gabrielle Garofalo, Dave Houston, Dani Raschel Jimenez, Scott C Kaestner, Sofia Kioroglou, Deborah P Kolodji, Rick Lupert, Donal Mahoney, Frank Mundo, Chika Onyenezi , Adam Phillips, Bethany W Pope, Nydia Rojas, Diana Rosen, Walter Ruhlmann, Jan Steckel, and Papa Vic.
Artist-In-Residence: Marie C Lecrivain

Essay/Reviews: Toti O’Brien’s Marching On; Angel Uriel Perales’ A Former Young Poet, Now Old, Reacts to Rilke, Years Too Late , and his review of James Benger’s As I Watch You Fade; Annette Sudgen reviews Wanda Vanhoy’s Boat of Dreams; Jack G Bowman reviews of Rick Lupert’s Death of a Mauve Bat, a review of Jon Cunningham’s Life on the Periphery, and another installment from G. Murray Thomas’s ongoing series a personal history of rock’ ‘n’ roll.

Stay strong, and keep writing, keep creating! See you all in April 2017!

Marie C Lecrivain
executive editor
poeticdiversity: the litzine of Los Angeles