“Playing Through Strength” by Angela H. Dale

Playing Through Strength

for virtually forever now my neighbors and I have played
bridge

kitchen
table
no-score

bridge

slam
response
forcing

bridge
played virtually, and now I have my neighbors for forever

the computer keeps score
deal

count
your
winners

deal

we
they
vulnerable

deal
the computer keeps score

pass, pass, pass, I say
notrump

unbalanced
dummy
exposed

notrump

finesse
the
knave

notrump
I say, pass, pass, pass

faces in little boxes we
laugh

double
showing
support

laugh

aces
and
spaces

laugh
faces in little boxes, we

Angela H. Dale
4/02/2020

Angela H. Dale is a poet and picture book author who lives in Ellicott City, Maryland. Her writing has appeared in The Baltimore Sun, Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, The Skinny Poetry Journal, Her Mind and in many other notable journals. Her picture book debut is slated for release in Fall 2022.

“Hopeful” by Suzanne Cottrell

Hopeful

Will the COVID-19 curve be flattened?
hopeful
social
distancing
mandated
hopeful
community
spread
controlled
hopeful
The COVID-19 curve will be flattened.

Suzanne Cottrell
3/28/2020

Suzanne Cottrell, an outdoor enthusiast and retired teacher lives with her husband and three rescued dogs in rural Piedmont North Carolina. She enjoys reading, writing, knitting, hiking, Pilates, Tai Chi, and yoga. Her poetry has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies, including The Best Emerging Poets Series, Avocet, Plum Tree Tavern, The Skinny Poetry Journal, and Haiku Journal. She was the recipient of the 2017 Rebecca Lard Poetry Award, Poetry Quarterly, Prolific Press. Learn more about this writer at Suzanne’s Words.