57 Comments
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Tina Rogers's avatar

Dondi I love the defiance in your piece, I aspire to "wear grace like brass knuckles"!

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Tina Rogers's avatar

@brutallybeautiful your poem took me somewhere haunting and frighteningly beautiful. A place I knew before understanding the words. I’ll reread and find new layers.

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brutallybeautiful's avatar

Tina- thank youxo

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Ann Marie Steele's avatar

Edward, the photo you chose for my piece is astounding!🥰🥰🙃🙃

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Edward Swafford's avatar

OH that’s Luna Joie, she’s one of the best Creative Commons photographers!

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Edward Swafford's avatar

I need to check which one it was, I can’t remember.

Two shakes!

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julie radford's avatar

I love you all so much - this collection is incredible 😭🩷

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H. R. Sinclair's avatar

We love YOU!

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julie radford's avatar

🥹❤️‍🩹

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Tina Rogers's avatar

I feel like I’ve been in a fight and come out triumphant! So powerful. Amazing with each and everyone.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Agreed!

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Melanie Cole's avatar

Another amazing collection. Dondi- your poem was immensely meaningful to me. I absolutely loved it.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Dondi hit it out of the fucking park.

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Vision2Verse, The Cipher's avatar

🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 greatly appreciate you ✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾

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Shayne Buchwald-Nickoles's avatar

Exquisite collection!

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Your piece was so damn good in Vol I, I kinda’ want another of yours for Vol III LOL.

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Shayne Buchwald-Nickoles's avatar

You all inspire me to dig deep and provide an encouraging space for uninhibited expression. Your prompts or calls for poetry and prose awakens something in me to put in words what has been shielded in thought. I am grateful to all of you ❤️

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Luis Rosa's avatar

Fucking A. I'm really into Ann Marie Steele and Debdutta Pal's work, now getting to know the others, too. Loved the Kiddo poem by Annie Lure.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Annie (Lacqueredcurls) is the most powerful writer.

Where’s your submission, dear Luis?…

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Luis Rosa's avatar

I been swamped with work, dear Edwardinno. Will make sure to submit after the next call though. 🖤

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Ann Marie Steele's avatar

Thanks!!

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Mark Armstrong's avatar

she wear grace like brass knuckles.

Love like a loaded weapon...

I often take that approach myself-- solidarity, I say!! 💪😅

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Edward Swafford's avatar

The call-out wasn’t necessarily about feminism, it was “Women”.

Broad, any angle people wanted to take. I guess most took the feminist approach.

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Debdutta Pal's avatar

I feel very cool right now. We rocked this one. 🔥

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Tina Rogers's avatar

Your poem was so tender.

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H. R. Sinclair's avatar

We rocked the whole damn boat

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Tina Rogers's avatar

Absolutely. I adored your poem. A celebration of love.

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Elena's avatar

What a fierce collection! I will take my sweet time with it and read one at a time! So far I’ve gotten until after Sue! Great work, my fellow women!! 🩷

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Edward Swafford's avatar

You were greatly missed, sweet Elena.

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Elena's avatar

I really want to contribute to the next volume/edition!! I’ve missed you as well! I’ve been so stressed, ugh

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Black Coffee Poetry's avatar

We’d love that! Religion is the theme, take any POV you like!

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Elena's avatar

Uhh, perfect for a girl who grew up catholic hahaha - when is it due?

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Same! 22nd.

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Steve Elliott's avatar

Women of course are awesome and so is this collection. Very happy to be a part of it.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

“Sylvia” is a rollercoaster!

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H. R. Sinclair's avatar

Couldn't agree more.

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H. R. Sinclair's avatar

Killer. This collection is KILLER! A fuckin' huge honour to be amongst such fierce writing. This series is unmatched, and there's still another volume to go 🤯

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A. Njoto's avatar

This strong bunch really pulled me IN! I can't decide if I am to be a warrior, or a nymph, or a trophy.. can I be a siren instead? I reallyy want to trap them sailors 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️ rrr

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H. R. Sinclair's avatar

Darling, you can be whatever you so please!

P.S. It's good to see you again Adrian!

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A. Njoto's avatar

Aw 🫠

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E.R. Davis's avatar

This was excellent. There is a timelessness to the angles presented here. I nominate this round of poems to be made into a book

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Edward Swafford's avatar

It’s an online collection, isn’t that better than a book?!

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E.R. Davis's avatar

yes but I’m a book person. If you make it a book, I’ll buy it. Not even joking. I buy the novelization of movies all the time

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Steve Elliott's avatar

Yes, but a slim volume of verse would be nice. I am fond of books. I like holding them in my hands, turning the pages and smelling them. Maybe this is a fetish?! But a house without books is a sorry place.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

I get it. We really should publish an e-book of our ten best collections.

The Blank Page and Trauma Den are probably our two strongest.

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Steve Elliott's avatar

A splendid notion!

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H. R. Sinclair's avatar

a BCP collections book is what the world needs, me thinks.

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Edward Swafford's avatar

Isn’t that what our Substack is?

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wildflower's avatar

Agree!!

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River's Writings's avatar

These poems hit hard. I love the second volume as much as the first. Thank you everyone for sharing these incredible poems with us.

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Tina Rogers's avatar

The skin was an all too tight costume, every curve is a threat - brought tears to my eyes because it illustrated a feeling so perfectly, with so few beautiful words..

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