Publishing poems is such an odd business. So much time & energy & correspondence, so many waiting games. And then, once the poem is finally accepted for publication, it can take months or even years to appear in that lit journal or book. So, it was atypical, but not wholly surprising that my poems appeared in three different journals this week, despite all having been accepted months ago. Naturally, I also had a slew of rejections along with the publications, which is how it all goes.
Nevertheless, I’m proud of this poem that I wrote during one of our weekly women’s writing & tarot workshops on Zoom that I started facilitating during the early stages of COVID. It’s been a balm to learn tarot during this destabilizing time, and even more grounding to use tarot as a daily practice; as a thermometer to gauge expectations, and to feel the weather shift.
This poem, “The Hierophant as Brown Marmorated Stink-Bug” chronicles a true story about toxic workplaces & the teachings of a stinkbug under capitalism.
A Poet Librarian 
The first thing I think about this poem- before even reading it- is how apt a correspondence are the Heirophant and the stink bug! Who knew until you revealed it to be so!
Second, how armored we sometimes feel we have to be. I’m sorry.
Thanks for the poem!
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thank you so much, Leslie!
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