poetry Archives - The MockingOwl Roost

April 1, 2026

A cheerful, cartoon-style jester grins with their tongue out, wearing a colorful red, green, and blue jester hat tipped with little gold bells. They’re holding a white sign in front of them, smiling with eyes closed, set against a warm yellow background filled with gentle, swirling lines. A small red owl perches playfully near the edge of the sign, adding to the silly, lighthearted feel of the image. April Fool’s Day TEXT: Paula Frew, Tomfoolery, April Fool’s Day Poetry

Published by Paula Frew at April 1, 2026

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Tomfoolery

This giant joke is on me. Something everyone can see.

March 27, 2026

$A cracked section of asphalt reveals broken stone beneath the surface, lit by warm sunlight. The fractured ground suggests shifting land or fault lines, symbolizing borders, divisions, and the hidden tensions beneath the surface of the earth. hearts and minds TEXT: Maps, John McMahon, Poetry$

Published by John McMahon at March 27, 2026

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Poetry

Maps

My land is small, but it’s strong. We march in powerful unison Over hearts and minds.

March 24, 2026

A cozy flat-lay scene on a dark wooden tabletop shows three boxes of decorations lined up side by side. On the left, a wooden crate holds small pumpkins and gourds in soft yellows, whites, and greens, tucked in with bright red berries. In the center, a white box is filled with hand-painted decorative eggs in gentle pastel shades, dotted and swirled with simple patterns. On the right, a clear box overflows with straw stars, beads, and red-and-white handmade ornaments that feel festive and nostalgic. other special days Text: Decorations, Duane Anderson, Poetry

Published by Duane Anderson at March 24, 2026

Categories

Poetry

Decorations

The list goes on, and each day I look at my calendar, glad for these events and the ones to come, but as for decorations, I’ll keep them in boxes this year.

March 23, 2026

A close-up image of a fingertip tapping a glowing smartphone screen. Around the finger, small white envelopes float and blur across the screen, suggesting emails being sorted through. fresh start Text: There’s Nothing Special About a Year, Poetry, Philip Athans

Published by Philip Athans at March 23, 2026

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Poetry

There’s Nothing Special About a Year

This exercise of deleting a year’s worth of emails that I do every January…

March 20, 2026

A dark, moody close-up of evergreen tree branches fills the frame, their deep green needles layered against a shadowy forest background. The lighting is soft and muted, creating a quiet, reflective atmosphere that echoes the poem’s contemplative tone about a lingering Christmas tree discovered months after the holiday. evergreen tree TEXT: Late Christmas, Duane Anderson, Poetry

Published by Duane Anderson at March 20, 2026

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Poetry

Late Christmas

It is the middle of March and a five-foot evergreen tree lays flat on top of a garbage container.

March 18, 2026

Published by Joshua Walker at March 18, 2026

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You Left Wearing Green

I wore a clover behind my ear. You laughed and said I was always reaching for luck in the wrong places.

March 17, 2026

Green and orange background with shimmers. In foreground, a leprachaun surrounded by a rainbow, a shamrock with green beer, and a picture of St. Patrick. TEXT: More Than a Pot 'o Gold - Paula Frew - Poetry

Published by Paula Frew at March 17, 2026

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More Than a Pot o’ Gold

He used the shamrock to tell the Irish of the Holy Trinity. So we honor the saint who taught the Good News of Christianity.

March 17, 2026

Beautiful image of cliffs in Ireland, slightly hazy, with the cliffs bold, green, and inviting. The water is blue gray with surf. TEXT: Mary Derringer, St. Patrick's Day Poetry, Here's to Ireland

Published by Mary Derringer at March 17, 2026

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Here’s to Ireland

Here’s to an isle, an emerald isle, set in the glassy sea. Here’s to the saint who blessed it…

March 13, 2026

Image of an old apothecary table with medicine and herbs, books, mortars and pestles, with a historic sepia patina - TEXT: My Father's Black Magic - Lynn Hess - Poetry

Published by Lynn Hess at March 13, 2026

Categories

Poetry

My Father’s Black Magic

My father carried a black bag bulging with the magic of his trade — powders, ointments, penicillin pills — to coax an ailing patient back to life. But at home, where doctors cleanse their minds…

March 10, 2026

Published by Susan Carberry at March 10, 2026

Categories

Interregnum

Bleak midwinter is on the wane. Frosty winds with milder wafts fan iron-hard earth to coax stone-cold waters into a thaw.

March 2, 2026

A wide coastal landscape shows a calm blue body of water stretching toward low, green islands in the distance under a clear, pale blue sky. In the foreground, a small coastal town with terracotta rooftops lines the shoreline. The scene feels open, serene, and rooted in place, evoking island life and connection to land and sea. White overlay text and graphics float in the sky area. plant their seeds TEXT: Islanders, Michael J LaFrancis, Poetry

Published by Michael J LaFrancis at March 2, 2026

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Islanders

They plant their seeds in the iron rich red soil, drop bait in emerald blue water; these faithful stewards live to fish and farm.

February 26, 2026

Published by Shamik Banerjee at February 26, 2026

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In Praise of Late February

This planet, once a schlocky sketch Made by December’s hue — graphite — Becomes a splendid fresco where The paints are flowers and sunlight. The sky, a multiplex-like screen, Displays a movie where a few Small, plumy planes hide in the clouds Then once again appear in view.