THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER BOOK OF POEMS! ..these don't even rhyme! Each verse is a mini-story of exactly 26 words, each with an initial letter in ALPHABETICAL ORDER...A to Z! An amazing-unusual- amusing collection of a newer style journalistic art-form; each verse, whether 'goofy', or serious, is well intended to strike your fancy somewhere, where ever you keep it hidden. They are neither cryptic nor labyrinth in nature; only intended to entertain, fascinate and hold you spellbound for hours as you wait, commute, ride or jet, or, just have free-time in between two other events. Open the book and see., read several as you laugh yourself' amazingly amused' silly! Later on, after being infected with the jest of your own laughter, be brave...come on...lay your pencil-to-the-paper, and express YOUR own brand of zaniness. Want some party- time fun? First: think of a topic-subject..Secondly: let a designated starter think of an 'A' initial word, then, the next in line express a 'B' initial word, and so on, till a full story unfolds, ending with a 'Z' word! Keep a record of it, then e-Mail it to me. However, if you're only a reader, and not a writer, pick-up several copies of 'SOUP' ..they're bound to excite family and friends in their forlorn moments.

The anticipated second book by the poet Mary Szybist, author of Granted, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award The troubadours knew how to burn themselves through, how to make themselves shrines to their own longing. The spectacular was never behind them.-from "The Troubadours etc." In Incarnadine, Mary Szybist.

I have composed twenty-six poems in alphabetical order A through Z. Each poem is a description of its title related to positive thinking, health, happiness, love, and life. Each poem consists of four paragraphs and one ?nal line. Each paragraph consists of ?ve lines, free verse and intentionally designed without any punctuation. The title of the book is, ABC Book of Poems for the Heart and Soul and dedicated to my daughters, Elma and Zarah. The cover concept re?ects love, peace, harmony, and wisdom matters so important in our lives. I have chosen the pen name, Jami (which is my nick name) as the sole author of the materials. I have dealt with some basic universal concepts and have written these poems in plain English to reach out to a broad range of readers of all ages, cultures, intellect across the globe. This is my ?rst book of poems ever written and so I am very much interested in your feedback so that I can continue to write by meeting, if not exceeding your expectations. I hope you all enjoy reading these poems and generate some healthy discussions to expand on these title concepts. I wanted to thank you for reading and/or purchasing the book and hope you will continue with your reading habit for your personal and intellectual growth. Also, I wish to continue producing quality books in the years to come.

""My parents decided to name me Riley but to spell it differently-Rylie. The same letters, just in a different order. And sometimes I think that maybe, just maybe, that's why I've been jumbled from the beginning. I'm composed of the same ingredients as any alphabet soup, but stirred around counterclockwise. Maybe that's why when people try to thumb through my brain they are met with scattered archives. Maybe that's why I can never think straight. Perhaps that's the reason my thoughts and motives are harder to pull apart than sticky spaghetti. I know myself to be made of all the same components as any, but in a different order that I have noticed makes all the difference. My brown hair is a mixture of maternal blonde and paternal black. So in a way, I have always been a diluted concoction of two extremes. Maybe this is why there is little firm conviction in the palms of my scrambled hands. And I continue to be mixed up. I think my looks don't reflect my age. I know my age doesn't coincide with my actions. I believe my priorities to be out of whack. And I'm certain that I'm uncertain about nearly everything. This book is a collection of poetry from my muddled mind. It features a myriad of topics that sum up the experience of being a human. These poems were written in sleep, in dim corners, in passenger seats, in bathtubs, in parking lots, in public restrooms, in cabins in the woods, and in apartments in the city. They are an alphabet soup that spells out life, death, love, loss, family, you, and me. They are an alphabet soup that is bitter, sweet, sour, salty, hot, lukewarm, and cold. But most importantly, one that is filling.""

In this urgent outpouring of American voices, our poets speak to us as they shelter in place, addressing our collective fear, grief, and hope from eloquent and diverse individual perspectives. “One of the best books of poetry of the year . . . Quinn has accomplished something dizzying here: arranged a stellar cast of poets . . . It is what all anthologies must be: comprehensive, contradictory, stirring.” —The Millions **Featuring 107 poets, from A to Z—Julia Alvarez to Matthew Zapruder—with work in between by Jericho Brown, Billy Collins, Fanny Howe, Ada Limón, Sharon Olds, Tommy Orange, Claudia Rankine, Vijay Seshadri, and Jeffrey Yang** As the novel coronavirus and its devastating effects began to spread in the United States and around the world, Alice Quinn reached out to poets across the country to see if, and what, they were writing under quarantine. Moved and galvanized by the response, the onetime New Yorker poetry editor and recent former director of the Poetry Society of America began collecting the poems arriving in her inbox, assembling this various, intimate, and intricate portrait of our suddenly altered reality. In these pages, we find poets grieving for relatives they are separated from or recovering from illness themselves, attending to suddenly complicated household tasks or turning to literature for strength, considering the bravery of medical workers or working their own shifts at the hospital, and, as the Black Lives Matter movement has swept the globe, reflecting on the inequities in our society that amplify sorrow and demand our engagement. From fierce and resilient to wistful, darkly humorous, and emblematically reverent about the earth and the vulnerability of human beings in frightening times, the poems in this collection find the words to describe what can feel unspeakably difficult and strange, providing wisdom, companionship, and depths of feeling that enliven our spirits. A portion of the advance for this book was generously donated by Alice Quinn and the poets to Chefs for America, an organization helping feed communities in need across the country during the pandemic.

Each month is gay, each season nice, when eating chicken soup with rice./DIV