Episode 116: Spring Hike

A few weeks back, my wife and I went on a hike with some dear friends of ours that we had not seen since the first pandemic restrictions went into place. Given that we're still working our way back to safe and I was at the time unvaccinated, we chose to get together outdoors and enjoy the Spring weather with a hike. And so this week's poem "Spring Hike" was born.

"Spring Hike" is straight from my Instagram account, where I post photos for which I write accompanying poems. If Insta isn't your thing, I cross-post all of my entries to my Facebook page, my Twitter account, and my Tumblr. If you'd like to check out the inspiring photo and read the poem for yourself, here's a link:

https://lefthandrob.tumblr.com/post/647675638621339648/amongst-the-trees-i-pause-to-wheeze-elevation

 

While I'm sure "Spring Hike" will appear in my next poetry book (coming 2022? Does that move you to know that? let me know), I like it enough that I couldn't wait until then to share it with you in print or the podcast, and so here it is.

You know the drill:

I want to hear what you think of the podcast, whether it's a specific poem or the format, or whatever's on your mind! Leave a review or a comment in your podcast app, or catch me on Twitter @Lefthandrob.

After listening to the podcast (or while listening), visit one of these sites and donate for the cause, because All Black Lives Matter and my fellow white (and cis) people we need to get in the game:

Donate to Black Lives Matter

Donate to the Souther Poverty Law Center

Donate to the Equal Justice Initiative

Transgender Law Center

The poems will continue to flow, but so must the Justice.

Left Hand Poetry: My Podcast of Poems

Episode 115: Triple Check and CYA

Here I am again, updating on a Sunday. I did tell y'all that it would be every week-ish. Still my apologies for the delay, consistency is key to growing an audience, and while you're but a handful of faithful listeners (thank you!!) at present, maybe some day I'll explode. Who knows? It just takes one Buzzfeed article, right?

But you want to know about this week's episode. "Triple Check and CYA" was written to cheer up a friend several years back, after they experienced a quintessential Corporate American Issue, and maybe even just a Corporate issue? The seed of the thing was the need to "CYA," or "Cover Your A**" when you are undertaking a potentially corporate-politically risky action. I guess the current parlance would be to say "make sure you have the receipts." Thus from that conversation was this poem born. It's certainly a performative piece.

You know the drill:

I want to hear what you think of the podcast, whether it's a specific poem or the format, or whatever's on your mind! Leave a review or a comment in your podcast app, or catch me on Twitter @Lefthandrob.

After listening to the podcast (or while listening), visit one of these sites and donate for the cause, because All Black Lives Matter and my fellow white (and cis) people we need to get in the game:

Donate to Black Lives Matter

Donate to the Souther Poverty Law Center

Donate to the Equal Justice Initiative

Transgender Law Center

The poems will continue to flow, but so must the Justice.

Left Hand Poetry: My Podcast of Poems

Episode 114: Accompanist

Poetry covers such a broad range of the human experience that I wouldn't expect all of you who listen to the podcast to share this experience, but I'll be willing to wager that there's at least a partial overlap between listeners of this and people who have or will attend music recitals, or more broadly: intimate acoustic music performances.

"Accompanist" was born out of this experience. My specific memory is a bit fuzzy, but given the context of the poem, I'm fairly certain it was a guitar recital that prompted this brief ode to live musicians.

You know the drill:

I want to hear what you think of the podcast, whether it's a specific poem or the format, or whatever's on your mind! Leave a review or a comment in your podcast app, or catch me on Twitter @Lefthandrob.

After listening to the podcast (or while listening), visit one of these sites and donate for the cause, because All Black Lives Matter and my fellow white (and cis) people we need to get in the game:

Donate to Black Lives Matter

Donate to the Souther Poverty Law Center

Donate to the Equal Justice Initiative

Transgender Law Center

The poems will continue to flow, but so must the Justice.

Left Hand Poetry: My Podcast of Poems

Episode 113: Eye Opener (An Easter Poem)

About 10 years ago or so I decided to try the whole giving up something for Lent concept. I went easy, I thought, I swapped out coffee for tea. As someone who's prone to headaches, it was a bit of a roll of the dice, but I found some good caffeinated tea that I could fit the bill. For the record, to know me is to know the deep abiding joy that coffee brings me - not just the caffeine, but the flavor. So now you know the about me. Anyway, when Easter finally arrived, I was back on the good stuff and was then moved to write this poem, and since this week's episode is super late thanks to the roadwork going on outside my house on the days when I would normally record and upload an episode, it's Easter! So please enjoy my Easter poem - if you're of a Christian Faith, Happy Easter! For everyone else, Happy Sunday, and to everyone, sorry this was so late!

You know the drill:

I want to hear what you think of the podcast, whether it's a specific poem or the format, or whatever's on your mind! Leave a review or a comment in your podcast app, or catch me on Twitter @Lefthandrob.

After listening to the podcast (or while listening), visit one of these sites and donate for the cause, because All Black Lives Matter and my fellow white (and cis) people we need to get in the game:

Donate to Black Lives Matter

Donate to the Souther Poverty Law Center

Donate to the Equal Justice Initiative

Transgender Law Center

The poems will continue to flow, but so must the Justice.

Left Hand Poetry: My Podcast of Poems