I’m honored to have two poems in the Summer 2018 issue of Mezzo Cammin: an online journal of formalist poetry by women, edited by the amazing Kim Bridgford. This is my seventh appearance in the journal — the first was in 2007, when poets were still skeptical about online publication, if you can imagine that! Now, the most influential journals in the world publish online.

Kim Bridgford is a brilliant, incisive poet in addition to being a visionary publisher and conference organizer. For poets with the time and means to attend poetry conferences, Poetry by the Sea, hosted in a lovely New England coastal town, seems perfect! It’s a thoroughly inclusive conference featuring readings and craft panels. In 2018, the keynote speaker was Rita Dove.

Of the two poems of mine published in this issue, one is about my feet, and the other is about girlfriends. Here’s the foot poem – check out Mezzo Cammin for “Girlfriends,” and all the other fabulous poems in this issue.

Defective Mirror Image 

I hate to say that one of you
has disappointed me. In lieu

of that, I’ll say you’re different.
One perfect, one discontent

as hell. To think, I bragged on both
of you, and decked you out in hosts

of toe rings, fancy shoes and polish.
You’ve stuck together in your smallish

way, resorting to irony.
My left foot won’t embarrass me.

But this right one—she isn’t right at all.
Bunion, hammer toe, odd ball.