Today I have three poems by Michele Burkey to share with you. This series shows the contrast between giving birth in a hospital setting, and giving birth at home. The difference in tone between her representations of the two couldn’t be more apparent. In a culture of increased medicalization of childbirth, and a country where unnecessary c-sections cost women 3.5 billion dollars a year, poems like these are essential. Not only do they enrich our lives in the way that only art can, but they also serve as a catalyst for increased conversation and awareness of issues that affect us all. (Empowerment) and (Refuge) originally appeared in Rock & Sling.  Read more...

For my first post as Poetry Editor of this fine blog, I am pleased to share a fantastic poem by Elizabeth Austen. Out of all the poems I encountered during EWU’s Get Lit! Festival this year, Austen’s “Untitled” was my favorite. Fortunately for us, she has been gracious enough to give me permission to post it here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.  Read more...