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Published Poems Sort by Title Year Title Journal Award 2025 Illuminator Porcupine Literary 2025 Grading on a Curve Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art 2025 Last Lecture Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art 2025 Plan B Azure Lazuli Literary Group - First Place 2025 Academic Calendar The Soliloquist Journal 2025 Is there a Final Exam? Azure Lazuli Literary Group - First Place 2025 Palinode Neologism Poetry Journal 2025 Dream Song Teach. Write. 2025 Trojan Horse The Common 2025 Ethos, Logos, Pathos Azure Lazuli Literary Group - First Place 2025 Full Disclosure The Missouri Review Poem of the Week 2024 For a Dying Child International Human Rights Art Movement Rhonda Gail Williford Poetry Prize - 2nd Place 2024 Pop Quiz Sky Island Journal 2024 Invocation Before a Day of Teaching Crab Orchard Review 2023 Rate My Professor: A Rebuttal Sky Island Journal 2023 Balcony House Tampa Review 2023 Morning in Three Movements The Banyan Review 2023 A Drink of Water The Banyan Review 2023 Synonym for Marriage The Banyan Review 2022 The Wisdom of the Cave SWWIM 2022 Inventory Southern Poetry Review 2022 The Shadow Maker Sequestrum 2022 War in Eurasia Sequestrum 2022 Calendar Plans Relief 2021 Ctrl+Z Florida Review 2021 On Forgetting Ash Wednesday Iris Literary Journal 2021 Before the Common Era Quadrant 2021 Aftercare Raintown Review 2021 Invocation Cider Press Review 2021 The End of Knowing The Criterion 2021 Another Inevitable Romance at Olduvai Gorge Avatar Review 2021 Ode for My Department Chair Who Left a Face Shield on My Desk NCTE English Journal 2020 Bingo Night for Missing and Exploited Children Beacon Press Blue Room Collective - "Grabbed Anthology" 2020 Prometheus's Regret Halcyone, Black Mountain Press 2020 Smiling at the Executioner Sky Island Journal Pushcart Prize Nominee 2020; Best of the Net Nominee 2021 2020 Ode for an Absent Student Naugatuck River Review Narrative Poetry Contest - Semi Finalist 2020 Afterlives Pensive: A Global Journal... Featured in Verse Daily - 2024 2020 Cues National Poetry Review 2020 Ode to the Heart Of Poets & Poetry, FSPA 2019 We leave the beaches for the tourists, mostly Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art 2019 Ode for Amy Smithsonian Arts&Sciences 2019 Ode for an Ode on a Grecian Urn Folio 2019 Folio Editor's Prize - Winner 2019 Where Winter Spends the Summer SWWIM 2018 Anthem Harpur Palate 2018 On Folding a Fitted Sheet Harpur Palate 2018 Learning the Scriptures Naugatuck River Review 2018 Trigger Warning Harpur Palate 2017 Bad Apology SWWIM Narrative Poetry Contest Semi Finalist; also featured in March 2020 #Tbt 2016 Ocracoke Briar Cliff Review 2016 Urban Helicon Cold Mountain Review 2016 Parousia Tar River Poetry 2016 Sugaring Naugatuck River Review Robert Frost Award - Finalist 2015 The Breakfast Piece Drunken Boat 2015 Emperical God Ruminate Magazine 2014 The Bath Naugatuck River Review Narrative Poetry Contest - Semi Finalist 2014 Portable Labyrinth Aurorean 2013 Amber Alert new south: Georgia St. Univ. Journal New South Writing Contest - Winner 2012 The Arrangement Beauty/Truth: Ekphrastic Poetry Robert Frost Award - First Runner Up 2012 At the Grieving Parents Meeting River Styx Rita Dove Poetry Award - Semi Finalist 2012 1-800-THE-LOST American Poetry Journal 2011 American Poet Prize - Winner 2012 Catharsis Smartish Pace Erskine J. Poetry Prize - Finalist 2008 Arcadia Cider Press Review 2008 House on Fire New Formalist 2008 Museum Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award - Special Merit 2008 The Rescue Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award - Special Merit 2008 Melville's Reader Spoon River Poetry Review 2008 The Retrieval Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award - Special Merit 2008 Oaths, Curses, Blessings Georgetown Review 2008 Snow Globe Cider Press Review 2008 The Lame God Spoon River Poetry Review 2007 The Rape of Chryssipus Spoon River Poetry Review Spoon River Editors' Prize - Winner 2006 Odalisque Comstock Review Muriel Craft Bailey Award - Finalist 2006 Girl at Piano Beauty/Truth: Ekphrastic Poetry 2006 Aubade DMQ Review 2006 Washday Ekphrasis 2006 Sanriku Willow Springs Vachel Lindsay Poetry Award - Winner 2005 A Kenning American Poetry Journal 2005 On Recognizing Saints National Poetry Review Annie Finch Prize - Winner 2005 Leaving the Mainland American Poetry Journal 2005 A Glass of Absinthe Anthology of New England Writers 2004 Against Elegies National Poetry Review Featured in Verse Daily 2003 Days Inn Shenandoah 2003 Teaching the Tragedies Southern Poetry Review 1985 The Peculiar Truth Grain 1978 Beginner's Mind Williams College Archives From the book "Advantages of Believing" 1975 On Rewinding Emerson College Review Emerson Original Poetry Award - Winner

Published Poems Title Journal Year Award 1-800-THE-LOST American Poetry Journal 2012 2011 American Poet Prize - Winner A Drink of Water The Banyan Review 2023 A Glass of Absinthe Anthology of New England Writers 2005 A Kenning American Poetry Journal 2005 Academic Calendar The Soliloquist Journal 2025 Aftercare Raintown Review 2021 Afterlives Pensive: A Global Journal... 2020 Featured in Verse Daily - 2024 Against Elegies National Poetry Review 2004 Featured in Verse Daily Amber Alert new south: Georgia St. Univ. Journal 2013 New South Writing Contest - Winner Another Inevitable Romance at Olduvai Gorge Avatar Review 2021 Anthem Harpur Palate 2018 Arcadia Cider Press Review 2008 At the Grieving Parents Meeting River Styx 2012 Rita Dove Poetry Award - Semi Finalist Aubade DMQ Review 2006 Bad Apology SWWIM 2017 Narrative Poetry Contest Semi Finalist; also featured in March 2020 #Tbt Balcony House Tampa Review 2023 Before the Common Era Quadrant 2021 Beginner's Mind Williams College Archives 1978 From the book "Advantages of Believing" Bingo Night for Missing and Exploited Children Beacon Press 2020 Blue Room Collective - "Grabbed Anthology" Calendar Plans Relief 2022 Catharsis Smartish Pace 2012 Erskine J. Poetry Prize - Finalist Ctrl+Z Florida Review 2021 Cues National Poetry Review 2020 Days Inn Shenandoah 2003 Dream Song Teach. Write. 2025 Emperical God Ruminate Magazine 2015 Ethos, Logos, Pathos Azure 2025 Lazuli Literary Group - First Place For a Dying Child International Human Rights Art Movement 2024 Rhonda Gail Williford Poetry Prize - 2nd Place Full Disclosure The Missouri Review 2025 Poem of the Week Girl at Piano Beauty/Truth: Ekphrastic Poetry 2006 Grading on a Curve Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art 2025 House on Fire New Formalist 2008 Illuminator Porcupine Literary 2025 Inventory Southern Poetry Review 2022 Invocation Cider Press Review 2021 Invocation Before a Day of Teaching Crab Orchard Review 2024 Is there a Final Exam? Azure 2025 Lazuli Literary Group - First Place Last Lecture Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art 2025 Learning the Scriptures Naugatuck River Review 2018 Leaving the Mainland American Poetry Journal 2005 Melville's Reader Spoon River Poetry Review 2008 Morning in Three Movements The Banyan Review 2023 Museum Comstock Review 2008 Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award - Special Merit Oaths, Curses, Blessings Georgetown Review 2008 Ocracoke Briar Cliff Review 2016 Odalisque Comstock Review 2006 Muriel Craft Bailey Award - Finalist Ode for Amy Smithsonian Arts&Sciences 2019 Ode for My Department Chair Who Left a Face Shield on My Desk NCTE English Journal 2021 Ode for an Absent Student Naugatuck River Review 2020 Narrative Poetry Contest - Semi Finalist Ode for an Ode on a Grecian Urn Folio 2019 2019 Folio Editor's Prize - Winner Ode to the Heart Of Poets & Poetry, FSPA 2020 On Folding a Fitted Sheet Harpur Palate 2018 On Forgetting Ash Wednesday Iris Literary Journal 2021 On Recognizing Saints National Poetry Review 2005 Annie Finch Prize - Winner On Rewinding Emerson College Review 1975 Emerson Original Poetry Award - Winner Palinode Neologism Poetry Journal 2025 Parousia Tar River Poetry 2016 Plan B Azure 2025 Lazuli Literary Group - First Place Pop Quiz Sky Island Journal 2024 Portable Labyrinth Aurorean 2014 Prometheus's Regret Halcyone, Black Mountain Press 2020 Rate My Professor: A Rebuttal Sky Island Journal 2023 Sanriku Willow Springs 2006 Vachel Lindsay Poetry Award - Winner Smiling at the Executioner Sky Island Journal 2020 Pushcart Prize Nominee 2020; Best of the Net Nominee 2021 Snow Globe Cider Press Review 2008 Sugaring Naugatuck River Review 2016 Robert Frost Award - Finalist Synonym for Marriage The Banyan Review 2023 Teaching the Tragedies Southern Poetry Review 2003 The Arrangement Beauty/Truth: Ekphrastic Poetry 2012 Robert Frost Award - First Runner Up The Bath Naugatuck River Review 2014 Narrative Poetry Contest - Semi Finalist The Breakfast Piece Drunken Boat 2015 The End of Knowing The Criterion 2021 The Lame God Spoon River Poetry Review 2008 The Peculiar Truth Grain 1985 The Rape of Chryssipus Spoon River Poetry Review 2007 Spoon River Editors' Prize - Winner The Rescue Comstock Review 2008 Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award - Special Merit The Retrieval Comstock Review 2008 Muriel Craft Bailey Memorial Award - Special Merit The Shadow Maker Sequestrum 2022 The Wisdom of the Cave SWWIM 2022 Trigger Warning Harpur Palate 2018 Trojan Horse The Common 2025 Urban Helicon Cold Mountain Review 2016 War in Eurasia Sequestrum 2022 Washday Ekphrasis 2006 We leave the beaches for the tourists, mostly Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art 2019 Where Winter Spends the Summer SWWIM 2019 Sort by Year * forthcoming

Published Poems (sorted): Click on column to sort. * publication forthcoming

Selected Poems 1-800-THE-LOST 2012 American Poetry Journal Display Poem 2011 American Poet Prize - Winner A Drink of Water 2023 The Banyan Review Display Poem A Glass of Absinthe 2005 Anthology of New England Writers Display Poem A Kenning 2005 American Poetry Journal Display Poem Academic Calendar 2025 The Soliloquist Journal Display Poem Aftercare 2021 Raintown Review Display Poem Afterlives 2020 Pensive: A Global Journal... Display Poem Featured in Verse Daily - 2024 Against Elegies 2004 National Poetry Review Display Poem Featured in Verse Daily Amber Alert 2013 new south: Georgia St. Univ. Journal Display Poem New South Writing Contest - Winner Another Inevitable Romance at Olduvai Gorge 2021 Avatar Review Display Poem Anthem 2018 Harpur Palate Display Poem Arcadia 2008 Cider Press Review Display Poem

Index Previous Next Invocation Before a Day of Teaching Janus, god of thresholds, passageways, watch over me today. Grant them your two masks: one looking back – a green confidence, salad days; the other forward – a god- scripted series of demons to slay. Let the enemy on this warring field, (this chalky classroom space) hear this, my summoning, a call before the siege: We are not here (this hushed November day) to take guild-crafted friezes, temples, city walls; not to make bards sing. Only to pass through an open gate; fling, like a skipping stone across a mirror-glass lake, sediment from this edge toward a distant base; relish the rhythmic hop across; watch and reflect on the ripples it makes. . Copyright © 2024 M. B. McLatchey. All rights reserved. Published in Crab Orchard Review . Fall 2024.

Index Previous Next Illuminator A girl in the front row admires her press-on nails, a dizzying sheen of rhinestones and whisps of citrine. The warm, low pitch of a peer I have asked to read; chants in tones and half tones – making meaning. I watch as she follows, her forefinger tendril and vine – accidental illuminator bejeweling lines. . Copyright © 2025 M. B. McLatchey. All rights reserved. Published in Porcupine Literary , December 2025.

MB McLatchey Poet Writer Teacher Poetry Workshops Florida M.B. McLatchey is an American poet living in Florida. Winner of the 2011 American Poet Prize, she is Professor of Humanities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Chancellor for the Florida State Poets Association, Arts Ambassador for the Atlantic Center for the Arts , poetry reader for the Miami-based journal SWWIM , a uthor of six books, and f ormer Poet Laureate of Florida's Volusia County. More About Books Poetry IN THE NEWS Dec. 2025 - M.B. is delighted to announce that her poem "Illuminator " has been published in Porcupine Literary . Thank you to editors Jared Beloff and Melissa Fite Johnson. Oct. 2025 - Poetry Workshops . The Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach will be celebrating National Poetry Month again next year by sponsoring a four-part series of poetry workshops hosted by M.B. every Wednesday in April from 4:15pm until 6pm. Signup details coming soon. Oct. 2025 - M.B. is delighted to announce that her poems, "Grading on a Curve " and "Last Lecture " will be appearing in the next issue of Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art . Thank you to Managing Editor Ben Sperduto and the Creative Writing Program at the University of South Florida. Oct. 2025 - M.B.'s poem "Academic Calendar " has been published in The Soliloquist , a newly founded journal whose mission is "to provide a platform for poets to share their innermost thoughts, emotions, and reflections." Thank you to their editor, Martha. Oct. 2025 - M.B. 's poem "Palinode " has been accepted by Neologism Poetry Journal and is scheduled for publication next February. Thank you to Editor Christopher Fields for his comment: "I appreciated [the] carefully-measured style in these poems." Oct. 2025 - M.B. is delighted to announce that her poem "Dream Song " has been published in the Fall issue of Teach. Write. - A Literary Journal for Writing Teachers . Thank you to Editor Katie Winkler for her dedication to teachers and their writing. Sep. 2025 - M.B.'s poem "Illuminator " has been accepted for publication in Porcupine Literary : A journal by and for teachers . Sep. 2025 - Poetry & Music Series - All are welcome to join M.B. and other nationally recognized poets throughout next year's Lenten season at the Community Church of Vero Beach. Poetry readings and music will be held every Thursday at 11am. See pages 18-21 in the online brochure for details and a list of other poets. M.B. will be reading on March 19, 2026. Aug. 2025 - M.B. has announced that after completing two five-year terms as Poet Laureate of Volusia County she is respectfully declining a re-appointment to the position so that the honor can be passed along to a new well-deserving poet of the county. Details coming soon. Jul 2025 - M.B. is honored to announce that her poem "We Leave the Beaches for the Tourists, Mostly " will be appearing in an upcoming Florida-focused anthology being edited by Dr. John Fleming for University Press of Florida. The anthology is tentatively called Pushpins of Paradise. May 2025 - M.B. is delighted to announce that her poem "Trojan Horse " has been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Amherst College's literary journal, The Common . Thank you to poetry editor John Hennessy for his reach from "there to here ." Apr. 2025 - M.B. will be joining Sean Sexton and Brian Turner as speakers next Fall in Lake Wales at the Florida State Poets Association's annual convention. The event will be held October 24-26 at the beautiful Bok Tower Gardens . Details here . Apr. 2025 - M.B. poems "Ethos, Logos, Pathos ", "Plan B ", and "Is There a Final Exam? " have been published in the newest issue of Azure: A Journal of Literary Thought. The poems were awarded First Place last fall in the Lazuli Literary Group's Fall 2024 Writing Contest . Thank you to editor Sakina B. Fakhri for her kind review of the collection. Mar. 2025 - While visiting Portugal this month M.B. and her husband had the good fortune to talk poetry, travel and politics over dinner with American poet Alfred Corn during his extended travel abroad. M.B. first met Alfred at Goddard College while completing her MFA back in the 90's. Feb. 2025 - Poetry Reading. M.B. will be guest reader at the Crazy Wisdom Poetry Circle event via Zoom next March 26th. Open to all, the reading will be followed by an open mic; participants are welcome to read a poem of their own or a favorite. Details here. J an. 2025 - Poets for Peace . Join M.B., local area poets, and musician Ray McNiece on Thursday January 23 at 7pm for Poetry & Music in Support of the Orphans in Ukraine . The event will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 56 North Halifax Drive, in Ormond Beach. Free admission; donations welcome. For more info, contact Joe Cavanaugh, jcavanaugh1@gmail.com . Jan. 2025 - M.B. is delighted to announce that her Spring semester poem for teacher friends, "Full Disclosure ", has been spotlighted by The Missouri Review as their Poem of the Week . Thank you to editor Kylan Rice . Jan. 2025 - M.B. is happy to announce that her poetry has been included in the recently released book Chameleon Chimera: An Anthology of Florida Poets . Thank you to editor Lenny DellaRocca for celebrating Florida poets this way. Available now on Amazon and other bookstores. Dec. 2024 - M.B. is honored to announce that her poem "For a Dying Child " has won the Rhonda Gail Williford Poetry Prize second place sponsored by International Human Rights Art Movement . Thank you to Founding Executive Director Thomas Block for the focus he brings to social change. Nov. 2024 - We are saddened today, the last day of November, to report that we have lost one of our own. Dr. David B. Axelrod , who has shared the Volusia County Poet Laureate position with M.B. since August of 2015, has passed away. David is the author of 24 books of poetry and has numerous achievements in Florida, New York, and internationally. We will miss his work and good humor. Nov. 2024 - Thank you all for the wonderful turnout of poets, writers, and dear friends at the New Smyrna Beach Library to hear M.B.'s creative writing presentation showcasing National Novel Writing Month . A special thanks as well to McKayla Howard Ely for organizing the event. Well done! Nov. 2024 - The Healing Power of Poetry . A heartfelt thank you to Sonja Jean Craig for her gracious article showcasing M.B.'s talk at the Women's Health and Breast Cancer Care Event last month in Central Florida. The event was hosted by the Atlantic Center for the Arts and AdventHealth and appeared in the November 2024 issue of Of Poets & Poetry . Nov. 2024 - Obrigado!! Thank you!!... for the beautifully crafted translations of M.B.'s poetry into Portuguese by Brazilian-American friend and writer, Kátia B. de Mello Gerlach. Her translations can be found in the current issue of Quiasmo , a Galician-Lusophone journal. "Obrigada Kátia." Nov. 2024 - TBT . Today we throw back to M.B.'s keynote speech at the FSPA annual conference four years ago and to a wildly generous review by Al Rocheleau (then president of FSPA). You can enjoy the speech's celebration of poet Seamus Heaney in this video , adapted from the original keynote. Nov. 2024 - M.B. poems "Ethos, Logos, Pathos ", "Plan B ", and "Is There a Final Exam? " have won First Plac e in the Lazuli Literary Group's Fall 2024 Writing Contest and will appear in Azure next February. Thank you to editor Sakina B. Fakhri for her kind review of the collection. Nov. 2024 - Poetry as a Dream Space - M.B. is conducting poetry workshops at The HUB on Canal in New Smyrna Beach on Wednesdays throughout the month of November. Spots are still available. Sign up soon! Details here. Oct. 2024 - M.B. is honored to announce that her poem "Full Disclosure " will be featured next January in The Missouri Review's Poem of the Week series. Robert Olen Butler calls The Missouri Review "one of the best literary journals in the world.” Thank you to Associate Editor Kylan Rice, PhD. Oct. 2024 - Women's Health and Breast Cancer Care Event. The Atlantic Center for the Arts is partnering with AdventHealth NSB on October 2 for an evening focused on mindfulness and women's health . As guest speaker, M.B. will explore the healing power of creativity. Oct. 2024 - M.B.'s Poem "Invocation Before a Day of Teaching " has been published in the Fall issue of Crab Orchard Review . Southern Illinois University describes its journal as "not just a publication; it's a literary journey that delves into the heart of storytelling." Thank you to editor Allison Joseph. Sep. 2024 - FSPA Annual Conference in October. We're only weeks away from Florida's next annual poetry conference, hosted by the Florida State Poets Association. The conference is located this year on the beautiful St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida, October 25 - 27 , 2024 . M.B. and others will be conducting several writing workshops. Register today! Details and full agenda here . Aug. 2024 - Poetry Workshops at The HUB on Canal . M.B. will conduct a series of her Florida Loves Poetry!! ™ workshops on consecutive Wednesdays throughout the month of November at The HUB in New Smyrna Beach. Register soon! Space is limited. Details and sign up here . July 2024 - Upcoming Workshops! M.B. is excited to announce that she will be offering several workshops this Fall. Locations include: The Hub on Canal (November), The Atlantic Center for the Arts (October), the New Smyrna Beach Library (November), and the Florida State Poets Association's Annual Conference (October). June 2024 - Verse Daily has selected M.B.'s poem "Afterlives " for recognition this month! The poem is taken from her latest collection Smiling at the Executioner . Thank you to editor J.P. Dancing Bear. Apr. 2024 - It's National Poetry Month! M.B. will host ACA Poetry Workshops every Wednesday night this month from 4pm to 6pm at the Harris House in New Smyrna Beach. Feb. 2024 - Poetry Night . All lovers of poetry are invited to join M.B. and Orlando area poets on Wednesday evening, Feb. 28, for Central Florida's inaugural Patio Poets event at the beautiful Venue on Lake Lily in Maitland, Florida. M.B. will Guest Poet at 7pm, immediately followed by an Open Mic for all Florida poets until 9pm. Admission is $7. Come help make this new monthly event a huge success and show everyone how much Florida Loves Poetry!!! . Location : 641 Maitland Ave S, Maitland, FL 32751 Jan. 2024 - With over fifty attendees present, The Hub on Canal featured M.B. at this month's Open Mic Poetry Night for a fun night of friends, poetry and wine. Thank you to Pamela and Mary Jane for hosting and to all the wonderful poets that showed up for Open Mic. Jan. 2024 - M.B. is honored to announce that her poem “Pop Quiz " has been published in the Winter 2024 issue of Sky Island Journal . A warm and heartfelt thank you to Editors Jeff and Jason. Dec. 2023 - Purple Ink Press has announced that it will be publishing M.B.'s poem "Rate My Professor: A Rebutta l" in a print version of Chameleon Chimera , an Anthology of South Florida Poets curated by Lenny DellaRocca. Dec. 2023 - Florida Loves Poetry!!! Join M.B. in exploring how writing in poetic forms – chants, odes, haikus, epistolary poems, and more – can unleash your most authentic voices. Beginners to advanced-level poets are invited. Sponsored by Atlantic Center for the Arts. SIGN UP NOW Four sessions: Wednesdays, April 3, 10, 17, 24. 4pm-6pm ACA Harris House: 214 S. Riverside Drive, New Smyrna Beach Nov. 2023 - BOOK RELEASE!! M.B.'s newest poetry collection, Smiling at the Executioner , has just been released and is available from Kelsay Books as well as your favorite book outlets. See why the editor of Verse Daily says, "These are the kind of poems you hope you can remember to quote when in moments of uncertainty." —J.P. Dancing Bear Nov. 2023 - M.B. and Edite Cunhã are happy to announce that their recent translation of poems by Portuguese poet Maria Teresa Horta has been published in the British journal Cable Street . Edite and M.B. have been collaborating on Portuguese translations since they first met in Lisbon in 2017. Nov. 2023 - " The best poetry workshops in Florida" are underway at The HUB on Canal. Nov. 2023 - M.B.'s poem "Balcony House " has been published in the Fall issue of Tampa Review. Thank you poetry editor Jodi Johnson. Nov. 2023 - Fall Festival of the Arts . Come listen to poetry readings by M.B. and Co-Poet Laureate Dr. David Axelrod along with other local poets on Sunday 11/19/23 at the Chess Park Stage next to the courthouse in downtown Deland. 12noon to 1pm. Oct. 2023 - Reader's Favorite has awarded 5 Stars to M.B.'s newest poetry collection, Smiling at the Executioner . In their words: "Smiling at the Executione r is a great selection for readers who enjoy eloquently written poems within a work of collected thought." Due out later this year from publisher Kelsay Books . Sep. 2023 - M.B. and fellow Regal House author Ginger Pinholster were welcomed to a warm crowd of over fifty attendees to their book readings and book launch at the Barnes & Noble in Tomoka Town Center last week. In attendance was ERAU's president and his wife as well as several deans and students from the university. M.B. shared a passage from Beginners's Mind and some poetry from her upcoming collection, Smiling at the Executione r. A heartfelt thanks to Ginger for organizing such a wonderful event. Sep. 2023 - M.B. is happy to announce that The Banyan Review has published her poetry in their Fall 2023 issue. The poems can be viewed here: "A Drink of Water ," "Synonym for Marriage ", "Morning in Three Movements ". Aug. 2023 - Thank you to The Banyan Review and guest editor Terry Lucas for including some of M.B.'s most recent poetry in their upcoming release next month. Poems included are: "A Drink of Water ," "Synonym for Marriage ", and "Morning in Three Movements ". The Banyan Review is an online, international journal that promotes poetry, art, and the natural world. July 2023 - Poetry Workshops. M.B. is excited to announce that she will be hosting a new series of poetry workshops this Fall at The HUB on Canal . The four workshops will run on consecutive Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6pm starting on October 25, 2023, continuing to November 15. Serious poets and writers of all skill levels are welcome. See why many are calling these the best poetry workshops in Florida . Seating is limited, so sign up soon . Nominal fee required. July 2023 - Upcoming Poetry Reading. M.B. will guest poet the Open Mic Poetry Night series at The HUB on Canal next January 20 at 5pm. For details about the monthly event, contact Mary Jane at 386-214-6409. July 2023 - Thank you to the South Florida Poetry Journa l and to curator Lenny DellaRocca for including M.B. in An Anthology of Florida Poets . Her poem "Rate My Professor: A Rebuttal" has been featured in the collection. June 2023 - Refreshments and Readings - Barnes & Noble, Daytona Beach, Saturday, Sept. 16. M.B. will be joining author Ginger Pinholster to read from their upcoming works. Ginger will be launching her book Snakes of St. Augustine and M.B. will read from her newest collection, Smiling at the Executioner . June 2023 - M.B. is happy to announce that her poem "Balcony House " has been accepted for publication in Tampa Review , Florida’s oldest continuously published literary journal. Thank you to editors Jodi Johnson and Yuly Restrepo Garcés for their strong support of literature and visual arts. May 2023 - The ACA Poetry Workshop Testimonials for 2023 are in and they are lovely! If you have a moment, you can check here to see what the participants had to say. Apr. 2023 - Writing the tops of their heads off!!! A record number of poets and writers came out to Harris House this year to make the ACA Poetry Month series a huge success. Info about the series can be found at Atlantic Center for the Arts . If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry. - Emily Dickinson Mar. 2023 - M.B. is excited to announce that Kelsay Books will be publishing her newest book of poetry, Smiling at the Executioner. The release is scheduled for later this year in November. Mar. 2023 - The ACA poetry workshops scheduled for April are sold out. You can send an email to mbmclatchey@gmail.com if you would like to get onto the standby list. Feb. 2023 - It's almost that time of year again! April is poetry month and that means poetry workshops at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach. See why some are calling these the best poetry workshops in Florida. M.B. will host the workshops every Wednesday evening throughout April. Admission is free but space is limited, so be sure to reserve your spot soon. You can find out more and register today on ACA's poetry page . Jan. 2023 - M.B.'s poem “Rate My Professor: A Rebuttal" has been published in the 2023 Winter Issue of Sky Island Journal . Thank you to its wonderful editors, Jeff Sommerfeld and Jason Splichal. Jan. 2023 - It is with heavy heart that we notify you that local poet Robert Calabrese has passed away. Highly admired by all who knew him, Bob had a gentle soul, was a dear friend to all, and without question, was a highly gifted poet. Bob and his poetry will be remembered at this month's Open Mic Poetry Night at The Hub on Canal on January 21st. Upcoming Events - 2025 April 2026 - Poetry Workshops The Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach will again be celebrating National Poetry Month by sponsoring a four-part series of poetry workshops hosted by M.B. every Wednesday next April from 4:15pm until 6pm. Signup details coming soon. Florida Loves Poetry !! ™ 2024 - The Healing Power of Poetry Sean Sexton, M.B. and Brian Turner at Bok Towers 2025 FSPA Fall Convention Loving Poetry at The HUB on Canal Barnes & Noble 2023 - Book launch and signing Writing the tops of their heads off at Harris House Poetry month 2023 at Atlantic Center for the Arts Events Older News Older News

The Rape of Chryssipus 2007 Spoon River Poetry Review Editors' Prize I chose "The Rape of Chryssipus" among a remarkable field of finalists for three reasons. The poem displays both wildness and restraint, and arranges the tension between these impulses through the clean elegance of its prosody. It makes me think of Yeats's ambition to write a poem "as cold and passionate as the dawn." The poem also displays great breadth, making us feel both the particularity and the universality of the brutal acts it recounts. And finally, "The Rape of Chryssipus" recalls one of poetry's prime functions: to curse. Appalled by the occasion of the poem, I'm entranced by its ambition to transcend accusation. "The Rape of Chryssipus" is no less than a spell, calling upon elusive powers to enter the human world. -- Dr. Philip Brady, Judge 2007 Spoon River Poetry Review Editor's Prize The judge, Dr. Philip Brady , is the author of three books of poems and a memoir. He has received fellowships from Ohio and New York, and residencies at Yaddo, Hawthornden Castle, Fundacion Valparaiso, the Headlands Center, and Ragdale. He teaches at Youngstown State University, where he directs the Poetry Center and Etruscan Press. The Spoon River Poetry Review

Selected Poems of Maria Teresa Horta Translated by: M.B. McLatchey and Edite Cunhã Published in Metamorphoses , 2019 Prev 11 Next POEM AFTER POEM Poem after poem I write poetry day after day, after night and startled I clench and I whisper and again the tumult Poem by poem I write the disquiet the translucent honesty of the wing, the harmony which desires the verse in the body of light Poem by poem I touch, assume the body of the work, fondling the language in a slow and inseparable indeterminable pleasure I dream, past symbol, past metaphor past syntax Word after word, after word after word… POEMA A POEMA Poema a poema escrevo poesia dia após dia, após noite e sobressalto cerro e sussurro e de novo tumulto Poema a poema escrevo o desassossego a translúcida lisura da asa, a harmonia que deseja o verso no corpo da luz Poema a poema vou tocando, tomando o corpo da escrita, afagando a linguagem num lento e indizível prazer indeterminável Sonho, após símbolo, após metáfora após sintaxe Palavra após palavra, após palavra após palavra... Copyright © 2019 M. B. McLatchey & Edite Cunha, with permission. All rights reserved. Published in Metamorphoses , Fall 2019. Copyright © 2017 Maria Teresa Horta, from her collection Poesis . Dom Quixote Publisher, Lisbon. Back to List

Index Previous Next Rhonda Gail Williford Poetry Prize - 2nd Place For a Dying Child Newborns in incubators in the IC Unit at Gaza’s largest hospital are dying as power fails and resources run out. – Palestinian Health Ministry, NBC News We wished for you a greenhouse gardener’s plan. His skillful hands. Seeds laid down in planting beds centuries old; a loyal water drip; roots taking hold; green tendrils taking to the gardener’s light. Stems kept alive – acacias, myrtle. An impenetrable inside. And not this grieving season. We wished for you a clear domed sky, light thermal winds to thaw your nestling trim, plump up your chalky skin. An angel to release your brittle frame from hissing tubes; smooth your two-week-old, old man’s head; anoint you with a name – before you are one of five listed: unnamed dead . And not this killing season. We wished for you ladders propped against shimmering olive trees. A long- limbed boy gingerly plucking, shaking the seeds. In a blur of boy and twigs, a laurel for your head: silver-green leaves. For certain harvest, sheets of netting below. Certain soap; certain oil, the essence of citrus, the golden-green glow. And not this hungering season. . Copyright © 2024 M. B. McLatchey. All rights reserved. Winner of the Rhonda Gail Williford Poetry Prize, second place. Published in International Human Rights Art Movement , Fall 2024. Source cited: NBC N ews

Index Previous Next Winner of the 2005 Annie Finch Prize On Recognizing Saints As if to find new icons for her life or as if - piece by piece - to dismantle mine she scans our purchases too consciously. Flips through a magazine I'm embarrassed to be buying. Studies its regimen for shapely thighs, asks me - because she's heard - if drinking wine is good for nursing. The shift from idle chitchat to appeal. Camille, her nametag says. Camille of olive skin and violet nails with long metallic tips, who flashes her lover's sucking marks like her stigmata. Camille who isn't showing yet - but like Crivelli's virgin martyr Catherine, peers sidelong at me and leans decoratively against her register as Catherine did against her studded wheel. So clearly Catherine that I want to look away - or kneel. And yet, Crivelli would have framed her differently: a martyr tucked away with other martyrs in a predella of muted colors, quiet suffering. None of this heart-to-heart - this girlfriend talk that brings to mind a string of small petitions and makes me say my part. . Copyright © 2004 M. B. McLatchey All rights reserved. Winner of the Annie Finch Prize, 2005. Judge: Margot Schlipp Published in The National Poetry Review , Fall/Winter 2005.

Index Previous Next We leave the beaches for the tourists, mostly and the history of tourism, a history of our shadow selves: wing-prints of fallen angels in shimmering sand, flapping, flapping – the soul’s earth mapping or a mating dance. Mouths, an upturned string of shells opening to a vast and mythical sky. These are the things they leave behind. A paddleball court etched in the muddy flats where a ruddy turnstone makes his nest’s scrapes, space for a female’s eggs; and seagulls dive for nacho chips and funnel cake; and the sanderling’s shrill song is the echo of a mother’s plea to her children out too deep. These are the calls we hear in our sleep. Or, the black-bellied plover’s plaintive call as he circles the shore for a sandworm or a crab – or for something, something to eat – and absently darts toward a sand castle made from plastic-cup molds and a child’s empty pail, pink or lime green or gold. And a wave with a biblical thrust catches them off guard: a torrent of coconut oil and ocean spray, a sandal, a drugstore romance – then the bright, shallow meadows and plank. Kitsch in a tide’s eternal crawl and roll and spray. Song and refrain. . Copyright © 2018 M. B. McLatchey. All rights reserved. Published in Saw Palm: Florida L iterature and Art , Issue 13. Forthcoming in the anthology Pushpins of Paradise, University Press of Florida.