SHINE - international poetry series

Feb. 17~ JEAN LIEW

2/17/2026

Poetry fans, today SHINE welcomes back poet Jean Liew, who hails from Boston. Please enjoy Jean's new poems: Bee, When I Slipped from the Rail, and The Track. Thank you, Jean, for sharing your words with SHINE!

Bee (for MKB)

The Track

When I Slipped from the Rail

Jean Liew is a rheumatologist and clinical researcher in Boston, MA. Sometimes she is convinced the written word can change the world.

Feb.13~ ADAM BREIER

2/13/2026

Happy Friday the 13th, poetry lovers...today we're shining the spotlight on American Poet/Educator, Adam Breier. Adam brings us two introspective poems: Beneath What's Fallen and Permission. Thank you, Adam, for sharing your words with SHINE international poetry series!

Beneath What's Fallen

If only he could see
the red and yellow shards of his
bruised ego
through the eyes
of those who flock
to admire
the autumn colors
of the brittle leaves that
fall in the fall,
then he might have seen
potential
in the things that
grow
beneath what’s fallen
and not simply pray
for a strong wind
to sweep them away.

Permission

When I felt for it and found
nothing,
I reached into that void
as far as the number of minutes
between that moment and
the last time I could recall holding it,
before I lost it.

I searched
rooms where it couldn’t have been
corners where it wouldn’t have fit
drawers that hadn’t been opened.
I lifted
memory, feeling underneath
hoping to find it hiding.

Repeating that search, each time feeding
the compounding bone-deep disappointment
until, through sweat and tears
I could see that I wasn’t searching, but
begging
for permission
to breathe
to pause.

I allowed myself, then
to take a breath,
and seeing the mess I’d made
of all that I could
never get back,
I also allowed myself to pause.

Permission to forgive
has proven more elusive.
I cannot beg
myself
for that.

Adam Breier is a Yonkers, NY based poet and educator. He is the author of a poetry chapbook, An Odor of His Own, with poetry and short fiction appearing in: Azarão Literary Journal, friends of friends, Mad Persona Magazine, Broken Stone Review, Thistle and Thread Press, Bristol Noir, Stone Poetry Quarterly, So It Goes: The Literary Journal of the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library, ‘Merica Magazine, Soul Fountain, and Outsider Ink. You can follow Adam on Instagram @adam_breier_poetry or at adambreier.com.

Feb. 11~ JOSHUA LILLIE

2/11/2026

Poetry fans, thanks for stopping by! Today SHINE welcomes Arizonan poet, Joshua Lillie, with three evocative poems: Unforced Labor, The Frog In My Father's Throat, and The Woods. Thanks, Josh, for sharing your words with SHINE international poetry series!

Unforced Labor

The Frog In My Father's Throat

The Woods

Joshua Lillie is a bartender in Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of the chapbook Small Talk Symphony (Finishing Line Press, 2025) and the collection The Outside They Built (Alien Buddha Press, 2025). In 2024, he was a finalist for the Jack McCarthy Book Prize Contest from Write Bloody Publishing. In his free time, he enjoys searching for lizards with his wife and cat.

Feb.5~ BRUCE MORTON

2/5/2026

Welcome back, SHINE poetry fans, and hello from the snow-covered tundra of Upstate NY! :) I hope you're staying warm wherever you are, and of course, enjoying some fine poetry this week. Speaking of....today we're spotlighting American Poet Bruce Morton. Please enjoy "Bluing" and "Old Faithful." Thank you, Bruce, for sharing your work with SHINE international poetry communtiy!

Bluing

Old Faithful

Bruce Morton divides his time between Montana and Arizona. He is the author of Planet Mort (FootHills, 2024) and the chapbook, Olive-Drab Khaki Blues, forthcoming from FootHills Publishing. His poems have appeared in numerous online and print venues. He was formerly dean at the Montana State University library.

Feb. 3~ COURTNEY EDWARDS

2/3/2026

Today I'm pleased to shine the spotlight on Portland-based writer/educator, Courtney Edwards, who brings us "To Enlightenment" and "Seabraids" -- two poems full of warmth and imagery. Thank you, Courtney, for sharing your gift for words with SHINE international poetry series.

To Enlightenment
(Thailand)

This time, I can show you the way
past the garish, gold temples, blinding
the slums and their stray dogs, their stray
plastic buddha figurines
blessing dirt roads,
past the glittering-gold chedis,
spiraling into heaven,
past the yellow-gold elephants, entombed
in gold wat walls,
past the glaring, gold Buddha statues
sitting beneath heavy, jeweled crowns,

past monks in orange-gold robes,
untouched by the world, by divine affection
leading hungry tourists in Bud-dho meditation
chanting,
bud-dho, bud-dho.

To the bamboo village where women,
seated like lotus flowers,
are nursing their babies,
sweet milk beading on tiny orchid lips,
Jasmine-petal fingertips,
saffron hearts beating together,
bright suns breathing together,
bud-dho, bud-dho.

To the wood stove where lemongrass steam
spirals over mothers, grandmothers,
their hands turn like tired wheels,
chopping papaya and red Tilapia,
bending over hot woks in
mindful dedication, divine meditation.
Palm oil sputters,
bud-dho, bud-dho.

To the shimmering rice fields where women,
wading in sunset-gilded waters,
bow to the earth under gold-moon hats.
Their laughter like lanterns--
filling the night with precious light,
with every noble truth.

Seabraids
(for Evelynn)

“When I’m the mom and you’re the baby…” you wonder,
weaving time like the fine blonde hair of our matching braids,

turning the years over, and under with your magic toddler hands,
cupping my face in your plush palms, imagining roles reversed.

“Mommy, when you cry, I will sing you songs about whales,”
you say, gently brushing strands from my eyes like some celestial veil

that once divided our souls into mother and daughter. When we release
our braids, we are shimmering mermaids, swimming with Baby Belugas,

Narwhal Unicorns, and Rainbow Fish. We explore princess-pink reefs,
make baby beds from glittery seagrass. You anoint every shell,

every opalescent fish scale, declaring them “beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!”
How I love to be in your arms, in your world. You bead bracelets, each piece,

a present. You tell me stories where endings are ever-after.
You hold me tighter than my mother ever could.

Perhaps, one day, you will hold me, when you are grown, and I am overflowing
with opalescent memories. When my time unravels down to my last thread,

my silver braid released, a shimmering mermaid. Back to the sea,
where a veil lifts, and we are always together.

Courtney Edwards is an English teacher and photographer from Portland, OR. Her work has been published by Pile Press, The New Zealand Poetry Society, Sonora Review, Suspended Magazine, and Wild Roof Journal. Courtney enjoys traveling, exploring the PNW with her husband and three children, playing the piano, and helping to bring sea otters back to Oregon through the Elakha Alliance. You can connect with her on Instagram at @pnw.courtney

Jan. 30~ STEPHEN DRUCE

1/30/2026

As we head into the weekend, I hope you'll enjoy these poems by UK-based poet, Stephen Druce. I appreciate the playful style with which he conveys serious messages. Thank you, Stephen, for sharing your words with SHINE international poetry series!

The Rarest Gift

Few can ambidextrous switch -
so few can sing in perfect pitch,
the few are gifted intuition -
few with surgeon hand precision,
few can dance with perfect timing -
few can conquer Everest climbing,
few become good tightrope walkers -
public speakers - dinner talkers,
few can do the telepathic -
few can tumble acrobatic,
few become Olympic skaters -
few become impersonators,
few can solve the Rubik's cube -
so few can thrive in solitude,
so few become good belly dancers -
scientists with all the answers,
few are skilled to fly formation -
few can master levitation,
few can fashion clothes design -
or portrait paint or juggle blind,
but the rarest gift despite the rumour -
blessed the few - a good sense of humour.

Be Good to Me on Sunday

I don't need your devotion -
your attention - or to listen,
connect with my emotions -
or to tell me I'm forgiven,

I don't need your affection
or to feel your tender touch,
I don't need your protection -
your support - to be my crutch,

I don't need adoration -
all your compliments and thanking,
your true appreciation -
all your patience - understanding,

I don't need all the accolades -
your gratitude - respect,
your sympathy - your serenades -
your charming intellect,

I don't need all your lavish gifts
and all your good advice,
don't save me in a snowdrift -
I don't need your sacrifice,

I don't need your agreement
or to see my point of view,
just be good to me on Sunday -
and be good to me on Monday too.

Stephen Philip Druce is a poet and surrealist from Shrewsbury in the UK. He is published in the USA, Hungary, India, Canada, Ireland, the UK, and South Africa. Stephen has also written for London theatre plays and BBC Radio 4 extra.

Jan. 28~ CANDICE KELSEY

1/28/2026

Poetry fans, thanks for stopping by on this January day as we shine the spotlight on poetry by Pushcart-nominated poet, Candice Kelsey. You can read her poems: Because We're Both Cowards, Divorce in Autumn, and To an Ex-Husband, below. Thank you, Candice, for sharing your words with SHINE international poetry series.

Because We're Both Cowards

let’s exchange places.
I’ll sit in your car
and you’ll sit in mine.

I’ll live in your house
and work your job;
you’ll live in mine
and do what I do.

I’ll become you,
dressing and undressing.
You’ll become me,
waking and sleeping.

And when I am
alone with your wife,
I'll break the news
that I’m leaving;

you’ll do the same
some evening sitting
by my husband failing
to get his attention.

Divorce in Autumn

A spread of rain-soaked leaves,
sodden reminders
of better years,
twitch this way and that
across the raveling asphalt
like the runaway heat
rose in your cheeks
that time I said
what we both were thinking
but couldn’t sweep
into the plunging cold
of a gaslit marriage
long enough
for a solitary shape
to rake it all
into a tidy row of sturdy bags

To an Ex-Husband

I can’t forget
how you complained
about the great Dane
most nights
a bark like bowshot
the pair of you
dog and human
terrified
that each visitor
every Amazon delivery
car honk
skateboarder
was really your past
in disguise
stalking you outside
our marriage
that rickety fence
you half-heartedly hoped
would hold.

Candice M. Kelsey (she/her) is a bi-coastal writer and educator. Her work has received Pushcart and Best-of-the-Net nominations, and she is the author of eight books. Her work appears in Bust, The Rumpus, Painted Bride Quarterly, Poet Lore, SWWIM, and other journals. A reader for The Los Angeles Review and The Weight Journal, she also serves as an AWP Poetry Mentor.

Jan. 22~ BOOK FEATURE: Lawrence Moore

1/22/2026

Today marks the last installment of this month's mini book series where we're shining the spotlight on former SHINE contributor, Lawrence Moore, whose new collection This Joyful Interlude was released in November by JC STUDIO Press (Glasgow). You can read my review below, and purchase a copy by clicking on the beautiful cover art image (by illustrator/publisher, Jane Cornwell). Congratulations, Lawrence, on this 'joyful' collection!

Lawrence Moore's new book, This Joyful Interlude, is a delightful read, with plenty of whimsy (from poems such as, "Wendy and Crew" or "Puss in Boots"). But Moore has a knack for evading the overly sentimental with writing that is both heart-warming and thought-provoking, and which celebrates individuality as well as connected-ness. I especially enjoyed lines like, "When missing from the arias, you'll find me in the overtones" (from "Those Handsome Lights") and "If the moment sends us rain, we may be saturated together" (from "Rituals"). Like his previous books, This Joyful Interlude showcases Moore's skills with imagery and rhyme, and truly offers something for everyone.

-Samantha Terrell, EIC
SHINE international poetry series

Lawrence Moore has lived in the coastal city of Portsmouth, England his whole life and shares a house overlooking Kingston Cemetery with his husband Matthew and several mostly well behaved cats. His poems have appeared in publications including Sarasvati, Pink Plastic House, The Daily Drunk Mag, Green Ink Poetry, Dreich, and The Madrigal. His first full-length poetry collection, The Breadcrumb Trail, was published by Jane's Studio Press in March 2024.

Jan. 20~ BOOK FEATURE: Luigi Coppola

1/20/2026

Poetry fans, SHINE concludes its January book series with two more reviews this week. Today, have a look at work by Luigi Coppola, whose new book Even God Gets Distracted Sometimes is now available from Broken Sleep Books, Ltd. You can read my brief review below and purchase a copy for yourself by clicking the cover image. Congratulations, Luigi, and thanks for sharing your news with SHINE!

Even God Gets Distracted Sometimes (Broken Sleep Books) is a beautifully compiled work of art. With illustrations by the talented Mark Shuttleworth and compelling poetry by Luigi Coppola, this collaboration reads like a dream, or a nightmare, depending on the poem! Full of insight and wit, Coppola's poems are at times silly, fantastical, but at others serious, even ominous. Standout poems, for this reader, include: Villanelle for the Greenman; Death Writes an Open Letter; Ours is the Wereworld; On the Buses With Philip Larkin, and the closing poem, A Bird On a String. Well done, Luigi!

-Samantha Terrell, EIC
SHINE international poetry series

Luigi Coppola – www.linktr.ee/PoetryPreacher – poetry, music, rum & coke. Featured at Glastonbury Festival, Tate Modern, Greenwich Theatre, Koestler Arts, Cutty Sark, Southbank Centre’s New Poets Collective, Poetry Archive Worldview winner, Bridport shortlist, Ledbury & National longlist, Lost Souls & Farrago Slam Champion, music as ‘The Only Emperor’, debut from Broken Sleep Books.

Jan. 16~ BOOK FEATURE: Rus Khomutoff

1/16/2026

SHINE poetry fans, welcome back as we continue the January book review series. I hope everyone enjoys today's Spotlight feature of work by the very cool, New Age-style poet that is Rus Khomutoff. His latest work, Kaos Karma, was released late in 2025. You can read my review below, and as a special treat, listen to a selection of his work by clicking the video link he has generously provided. Kaos Karma is available as a FREE eBook (click Khomutoff's Kaos Karma poster to download). Thank you, Rus, for sharing your work with SHINE international poetry series.

Through an artistic layout and experimental form, Rus Khomutoff has crafted a metaphysical journey of poetic expression. In reading work from Kaos Karma, the audience is immediately submerged into an ethereal, almost dreamlike trance. Khomutoff utilizes his skill for lyricism to draw the reader on and on into his work, but doesn't quite leave us there. There's a sort of call to action underneath these descriptive layers -- begging a reader to incorporate the spiritual into the corporeal. A fascinating read.

-Samantha Terrell, EIC
SHINE international poetry series

Rus Khomutoff is an experimental New York poet who has been seriously writing since 2015, and has published five chapbooks. Khomutoff's poetry has appeared in TRIPLOV, EgoPHobia, & Ink Pantry. His Instagram is @RusKhomutoff.

Jan.14~ BOOK FEATURE: A.M. Hayden

1/14/2026

Poetry lovers, once again I'm thrilled to shine the spotlight on work by A.M. Hayden, who has recently released the lovely collection that is, Old World Wings. You can read my brief review below, and pick up a copy for yourself by clicking on the book cover image!

Phenomenal, nostalgic, at times humorous, and heartfelt poetry by the rising star that is American poet, A.M. Hayden! This collection, as evidenced by its title, gives flight to reflections on multiple European adventures -- the art, the history, the passion -- from Venice to Sligo, and more -- it's got it all. Beautifully done!

-Samantha Terrell, EIC
SHINE international poetry series

A.M. Hayden served as Poet Laureate for Sinclair College from 2021-2025 and is a Tenured Professor of Humanities, Philosophy, and World Religions, receiving the League for Innovation Teaching Excellence Award (2020) and the Distinguished Faculty Scholars Award (2024). She has two full length poetry collections (American Saunter: Poems of the U.S. and Old World Wings: Poems of Europe) and one chapbook (How to Tie Tobacco), published by FlowerSong Press and Wild Ink Publishing. Twice nominated for the Pushcart Prize and a River Heron Editors' Choice Winner, she lives on a windy farm with her family and many rescues including a blind, three-legged dog named Vinny Valentine and a three-legged goat named Old Man Jenkins.

January 8~ BOOK FEATURE: Ewen Glass

1/8/2026

Today SHINE is pleased to continue this month's series of poetry book reviews, with the delightful work of Ewen Glass. His chapbook, If You Stand in the Corner of the Spare Room You Can Just About See the Sea (Inkfish Press), is sure to move. You can read my review below, and purchase your copy by clicking on the book cover image. Congratulations, Ewen, on your fine work!

In If You Stand in the Corner of the Spare Room You Can Just About See the Sea (Inkfish Press), poet and screenwriter Ewen Glass crafts a delicate collection full of weight. Exploring the contradictions of what it is to be human, and our need to fulfill the unfulfillable, a reader is greeted with words that resonate and emotions that fill the gaps between what’s viewable and what’s not. For me, stand-out poems include: I Can’t Sustain You, Feast, and Winter Solstice. Don’t miss this short but poignant book.

-SAMANTHA TERRELL, EIC
SHINE international poetry series

Ewen Glass is a screenwriter and poet from Northern Ireland who lives with two dogs, a tortoise, and a body of self-doubt. His poetry has appeared in the likes of Okay Donkey, Maudlin House, HAD, Poetry Scotland, and One Art.

On Bluesky/X/IG: @ewenglass

Jan.6~ BOOK FEATURE: Peter J Donnelly

1/6/2026

Happy New Year, poetry lovers! We're kicking off the new year with a short series of book reviews. First up, UK-based poet Peter J Donnelly's Bloom and Grow (Alien Buddha Press). Check out my review below, and purchase your copy by clicking on the cover image.

In Peter Donnelly’s book Bloom and Grow, there is love and disappointment and regret which resonates with all who know loss. But lines like “...it’s more like your eyes are averted” (from “Where It Hangs Now”) hint at the growth the book’s title alludes to, as we come to accept the way our impressions of others -- while they lived -- shape who they continue to be to us, after they are gone. Donnelly’s Bloom and Grow also offers resolve and contentment through lines like, “a shame to miss out on Aysgarth Falls, but you can't have everything” (from “Half An Hour in Hawes”). Overall, this is a collection full of raw emotion and evocative imagery. A treasure.

-SAMANTHA TERRELL, EIC
SHINE international poetry series

Peter J Donnelly lives in York where he works as a hospital secretary. He has a degree in English Literature and a MA in Creative Writing from the University of Wales Lampeter. He has been published in various magazines and anthologies including Dreich, Southlight, One Hand Clapping, High Window, Black Nore Review, Ink Sweat and Tears and Obsessed with Pipework. He was a joint runner up in the Buzzwords open poetry competition in 2020 and won second prize in the Ripon Poetry Festival competition in 2021.

Dec.17~ LUIGI COPPOLA

12/17/2025

Poetry fans, as promised...today, as a final installment before the holidays, we're shining the spotlight on new work by UK-based writer, Luigi Coppola! Luigi's debut collection Even God Gets Distracted Sometimes (Broken Sleep Books) will be one of six poetry collections featured by SHINE in the new year, so be sure to come back in January & check 'em all out! Until then, have a safe and happy holiday season. And, thank you, Luigi, for sharing your work with SHINE international poetry series!

The Rope and The Skull
after ‘Saint Francis in Meditation’ by Francisco de Zurbarán

www.linktr.ee/TheRopeAndTheSkull

Picasso’s Muse Walks Out of the Frame

www.linktr.ee/PicassosMuseWalksOutOfTheFrame

I Point on the Map a Home
after ‘The Comte de Vaudreuil’ by François-Hubert Drouais

www.linktr.ee/IPointOnTheMapAHome

Luigi Coppola
www.linktr.ee/PoetryPreacher – poetry, music, rum & coke. Featured at Glastonbury Festival, Tate Modern, Greenwich Theatre, Koestler Arts, Cutty Sark, Southbank Centre’s New Poets Collective, Poetry Archive Worldview winner, Bridport shortlist, Ledbury & National longlist, Lost Souls & Farrago Slam Champion, music as ‘The Only Emperor’, debut from Broken Sleep Books 'Even God Gets Distracted Sometimes'

Until next year (a word from SHINE)...

SHINE thanks you for your support in 2025! It's been a year, folks -- could we have gotten through without poetry and each other?! I shudder to think. As SHINE has recently migrated away from Instagram due to its new AI policies, please be sure to follow SHINE on BSKY (@shinepoetry) to catch all the latest news & Spotlights in 2026! And, as always, you can grab a copy of SHINE Quarterly right HERE, or worldwide via Amazon marketplace. Supporting indie publishers helps the literary community thrive! Consider purchasing an issue of SHINE or another indie publication for the poetry lover in your life this holiday season.

Keep writing, keep shining!

Yours in poetry, Samantha Terrell, EIC
SHINE International Poetry Series / SHINE Quarterly

Dec.16~ BELLA MELARDI

12/16/2025

Poetry fans, this week at SHINE we're diverting a bit from our regular poetic routine -- yesterday with a Christmas-themed feature by a trio of writers; today, with prose poetry, "Moon Water" by university student Bella Melardi; and tomorrow, with one final Spotlight for the year -- a sample of new poetry by Luigi Coppola, whose excellent book Even God Gets Distracted Sometimes (Broken Sleep Books) is in the line-up of collections to be featured in January. I simply can't wait! Until then, have a safe and pleasant season, and thank you, Bella, for thinking of SHINE as a home for your words! Here's Moon Water...

Moon Water

When I was little, I used to stare at the moon from my bedroom window and wonder if it ever resented the Earth’s admiration of the sun. Did it envy that brightness? Did it ever feel like a substitute, glowing only because of borrowed light? My father used to visit every other weekend. Routinely asking about school like he was clocking in for a shift. Covering my mom’s shift. I think he felt like the moon. That when the sun set, we were left with disappointment.

But my father had a power over me that my mother never could. His greatest influence was his absence. When he left, the space he left behind grew large enough to raise me. I became an ocean without a moon—wild, rising, uncontrollable. I learned to rise and crash without warning. His absence pulled at my tides, leaving a lump in my throat that only grew. Later, doctors called it a thyroid nodule. I just thought of it as the physical proof that I was always on the brink of tears. I called it the body’s way of storing an unanswered question.

Water rose in the back of my retina, causing it to swell. A slow flooding that blurred the edges of everything. When I lost an eye, I lost the ability to see the grey in reality. Depth and nuance became a rumour. My black and white thinking, an act of survival.

I feel guilty about the way men have power over me. It led me to fear masculinity. Especially in myself. I performed femininity. A fluoride forced across my teeth. A purifier. But I couldn’t stick to the routine. Tight shirts. Short skirts. Makeup. Full face. Eventually, my entrails had to exhale.

Bella Melardi is a poet and an author who writes about the political and the personal. She attends Ontario College of Art & Design.

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