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It's a new year, and a new season of Shine! Today I offer you a special preview of the debut collection by A.R. Williams (Andrew Ray Williams), A Funeral In the Wild, forthcoming from Kelsay Books in February. An early endorsement of Williams' book describes his work as "Poems that reach well beyond his native Virginia and touch on the universal themes of memory, relationships, and place." Thank you, A.R., for sharing your words! Dog Tag Necklace Do you remember surprising me with that engraved, dog tag necklace upon seeing my report card? A blissful boy, I wore your pride around my neck, until the chain disappeared from the pool that summer. Today, I saw a cadet at the pharmacy and recalled the pool, wondering whether your approval was still there. What Gives Me Hope Remember when we ate pizza on Duke St., drove by the ballpark, and looked at buying this house? Like dandelion seeds blown into the wind, we soared northward, parachuting into the field of possibility. But that was before the pizza became cold, the ballpark expensive, and this house, too small. Now, we long to bud where we were first planted. But today our neighbor— the gardener—said that of all weeds, dandelions can withstand the harshest growing conditions.  A.R. Williams (PhD, Bangor University, Wales) is the editor of East Ridge Review. He has been widely published in poetry journals, magazines, and anthologies. A Funeral in the Wild: Poems (Kelsay Books, February 2024) is his first poetry collection. Williams lives with his family in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Find him on Twitter @andrewraywill
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SHINE - International Poetry Series
Curated by Samantha Terrell
From the international poetry community, we have a "luxury of stars," as Sylvia Plath might say, and it is my honor to provide a home for their words through SHINE Poetry Series.
NOW IN PRINT!
Stars Over the Dordogne
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