All right, one more batch of poems for 2025.
I had thought I hadn’t been doing this series for too long, but a quick review of past posts indicated I’ve been doing this now for at least two years. It’s wild I’ve been doing this for that long.
In a glance at the file I’ve been using to store this year’s poems, I counted 29 poems I’ve written, both published and unpublished, since the start of the year. Considering I only ever wrote poetry once in a blue moon for nearly all my life, this is a massive increase in productivity.
Hopefully, I can keep this up. I have to say I’ve never put as much attention into my poetry as I have my fiction work, but I do hope putting in the time and work pays off in the end, if not financially then at least artistically.
I’m glad it’s becoming late fall/early winter now. I’ve always felt I did better in colder climates than warmer ones – maybe some heritage from my Wisconsinite parents and grandparents. But I also wonder if it would be everything I’d hope for, so this poem grew out of these thoughts.
Rainy Night in Iowa
Fort Madison, Iowa, 28 December 2025
Skies uniform gray
Mist and wet saturate the ground
Seep into your hoodie and cap
Streetlights reflect onto wet pavement.
Fog gray shades and fades everything,
Convert hi-beams to decorative lights
Left with the fear of Iowa wildlife
Jumping into your path.
It’s getting close to the end of the year and I’m trying to race to reach my word count goal before New Year’s Day 2026. The possibility of me making the deadline can be described as possible but with no more time to lose. However, ever since my journalism days, a tight deadline has always inspired me – as well as this next poem.
Immovable Deadline
Fort Madison, Iowa, 28 December 2025
In the end, it comes down to math:
Number of words yet to write
Number of days, hours, and minutes to write,
And a formula you hope will total the right number at Deadline.
No more hemming and hawing
As the numbers are there in your face
One thing to keep in mind: those words
Don’t have to be your best to make it to the Deadline.
Now for a quick commercial break, lol.
If You’re Interested in the Poetry You See Here… You Might Want to Check Out Some More…
My first collection of poetry is out.
Since Substack doesn’t have the setup for this (that I’m aware of), I’ve set up something at my WordPress sister site, Liegois Media. I have my own Internet storefront page where you can order my chapbook for $6 per copy. The link is below.
2026 is coming down the road. I’m wondering what words it will bring along.
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