Kimberly O'Connor

writer & teacher

Category: Uncategorized

  • “dark dark and never again”

    This is one of my favorite poems whose poem itself answers the question that is the poem’s title. WHAT DO YOU WRITE ABOUT, WHERE DO YOUR IDEAS COME FROM? Charles Wright, Appalachia   Landscape, of course, the idea of God and language itself, that pure grace which is invisible and…

  • Fun poem for springtime

    Here’s a poem I retyped by e.e. cummings. A fun poem for this time of year. I used to read this one with high school students. I promise it does have a fun organic logic. Enjoy!   r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r e. e. cummings   r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r   who   a)s w(e  loo)k  …

  • “A Brief for the Defense”

    Jack Gilbert’s “A Brief for the Defense” is a beautiful poem about happiness amidst sorrow. Read it below at The Sun–scroll toward the end of the piece for the poem, or if you have extra time (ha!) read about his life and work, too, and some of his other poems.…

  • “All things come to an end”

    Today I offer what may be my favorite poem of all time, Ruth Stone’s “Train Ride.” I’ve posted this poem before, long ago, but it’s so perfect for this moment in history (and all moments) that I have to repost it. Last summer I memorized it at a tiny, lovely…

  • Thanks

    Hello friends, Thank you for all the emails and texts about my missing poems of the day! I took a break first because I went blank and now because I am writing something longer that isn’t ready. So in the meantime I’ll post some of my favorite poems for you.…

  • 6 Feet Distance

    This is a found “poem” from this article by Helen Ouyang. (Please read.)

  • Song for April 2020

  • Shelter in Place Poem, Easter 2020

  • Shelter in Place Day 16

    unfinished Easter sonnet    the poultry processing plant worker dead every morning more green buds the folk singer dead snow melting the trail to mud   the neighbor’s mother’s mother dead the toilet paper factory worker has a fever the dental hygienist dead the city council closed down the river…

  • Shelter in Place Poem, Days 14 & 15

    Note: this poem is my attempt at a ghazal, a poem that uses a repeating end word and includes the author’s name in the last stanza. Read much more about the form here. What comes to me is silence so I stare at clouds. The air is filled with birdsong…