Better Than Starbucks ModPo and Experimental Poetry Magazine July 2017

ModPo & Experimental Poetry

Better than Starbucks began wholly as a creation in my mind. Now the wonderful collaboration of four dedicated editors is creating a monthly magazine that I could have only dreamed about when I was starting out as a one person organization.

Having said that, there are no direct connections between U Penn, Al Filreis, KWH (Kelly Writers House), ModPo (Modern & Contemporary American Poetry), or any of the actual affiliated programs to ModPo and this magazine, other than I have been a part of ModPo for several years now. There is, however, a strong spiritual and intellectual connection between BTS and ModPo.

If I had not gotten involved in the larger community of ModPo, I don't think I would have restarted a literary publication. I am certain I would not have added a Formal & Rhyming Page, and probably not a Translations page. I have a pretty narrow preference for poetry, but the course and the people at ModPo have expanded my view of poetry to the point that I decided if I could find good people to help me do it, we would make BTS as broad of a source of styles and genres as possible. We have been fortunate to establish a team of talented editors and are in the process of an ever expanding quest to find poetry wherever it may be.

Thus, it seems fitting that we dedicate a page to my fellow students at ModPo, and/or anyone who wants to share experimental poems. The thing about experiments is, they often fail, but as the point is to learn, not to create perfection, even failed experiments in the lab or on this page, will offer something for us, if we will find it. and when the experiment doesn't fail... well, you will see! - Anthony Watkins

Organic

Nature knows no shadows

Light has abandoned us,

Heat of the earth punishing doubters,

Air is moist a jungle brush of growth

Provides no shade

Tall grass wet soil huddle together

Nests in the eaves of houses path of a cool breeze,

saves us a warm wind slaps away the dew

our skin sweats a fly on a flower near a windowsill,

its beatened wings create ripples in the air

a natural rhythm clouds gather cluster in the atmosphere

rain comes

starting the process again

Shirley Jones-Luke is a poet and writer from Boston, MA. Ms. Luke was a 2016 Watering Hole Poetry Fellow. She has an MFA from Emerson College. Her work has been published by Deluge, ENUF and Mass Poetry.

Rock Bottom

Rock

[

[bottom

never

--------looked

so

close

F

a

l

i

n

g

up

towards

black

hologram

sky

Only

so

much

(space)

left

C

o

n

t

o

r

t

e

d

beyond

help

>>>>Pressure<<<<

begins

to

grind

marrow

into

cheap

lubrication

[[Molded]]

for

public

consumption

Adam Levon Brown