Joanne the Poet - The Poetry of Joanne M. Clarkson

Poem in “Learning to Heal: Reflections on Nursing School in Poetry and Prose”

I am so thrilled to have a poem in one of Cortney Davis’ excellent nursing-themed anthologies!  “Learning to Heal”, co-edited by Jeanne Bryner,  just arrived from Kent State University Press and it is beautiful — in both design and content! My poem is entitled: “First Patient” and is indeed about the first patient assigned to me in my first clinical rotation in nursing school. He was in Pacific Care nursing home on Cherry Street in Aberdeen. He was diabetic and had just had his leg amputated. One line from the poem goes: “I have never been so afraid,” and this was true. I was older going to nursing school. This was my second career. But life experience didn’t make me any less terrified of hurting this poor man, of making his pain and his condition worse. It takes incredible courage to care for the body of another person and I am so thankful I got to serve in this way. It also takes unbelievable bravery to attempt to touch the soul, which is what I believe poetry does. Each time I write, a part of me “has never been so afraid.”

Four Poems in the Meditative “Leaping Clear”

This autumn I have 4 poems published in the online “Leaping Clear” Journal: www.leapingclear.org. The first is “The Girl Who Loved the Varied Thrush,” for my friend Anna who loves all animals and who knows the names of many birds. The second is “How to  Build a Bat House” and is about the widow, whose house we almost bought. When bats settled under the siding around the front door and the realtor insisted they put up plastic to keep them away, she learned how to build a dwelling for them on the south side of her home.

The third poem is a beautiful distant memory of my grandmother, Esther. And the last one talks seeing a totem pole – I am fascinated by totem poles – and wondering about my own totem/animal affiliate or protector.

As part of this journal, the editors asked for a statement about the poet’s meditative practice. Here is mine: Listening is essential to my meditative practice. I am clairaudient. Inspiration, enlightenment, and peace come to me in sounds and voices. We live near the ocean and forests and close to mountains. I am blessed with an abundance of bird song, wind, and waves. In addition, I love to read my favorite authors aloud and memorize lines. I enjoy gathering snatches of conversation and discover lives through borrowed words. My Guides offer phrases in my dreams. I am so grateful for my ears! I am most connected to the world through everyday music.

“In the News”

The Poeming Pigeon Literary Journal out of Beaverton, OR,  has devoted its 2018 issue to news-worthy poetry.  Two pieces of my work are included, both based on true stories from The Olympian earlier this year. The first one is titled, “Ex-Army Ranger Saves Teen on Hwy 12” and is from the point of view of a vet witnessing a terrible accident. His quick action, based on combat experiences, saved a young man’s life. The second poem is “Homeless Shelter Loses Host Church, Closes,” and is from the perspective of a homeless man who had spent cold nights in this sanctuary — until he couldn’t any more. This is a very powerful anthology of diverse voices on many contemporary topics!

New Poem in Bacopa Literary Review 2018

My poem “Auditioning Death” is in the annual edition of the Bacopa Literary Review this year. The journal is published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville, Florida. The poem was a finalist for their contest. Both poetry and prose are included. My poem is a collection of metaphors for how death might appear. I think all of us at one time or another have wondered what the end might look like!

New ‘Jess Poem’ in the Bellingham Review

My poem “The Art of Dying” appeared in the Spring 2018 edition of the Bellingham Review (Volume XLI, Issue 76). Although my friend and mentor Jess Spielholz died in 2009, his thoughts and the testimony of his amazing life continue to inspire me. He was 101 when he crossed over and in those final years and months, contemplated why he was still here on earth. At the very end he told me that he had transcended time, a concept he had puzzled over. To prove this, he revealed scores of Mariners’ ball games the day before they occurred and he was correct! This poem tells about our conversations about time and what he experienced.

We’Moon 2019

Again for next year I have work in the We’Moon Datebook. The 2019 theme is “Fanning the Flame” which correlates with card 19 of the Tarot’s Major Arcana which is The Sun. I feel so honored to be among the amazingly talented artists and writers here. My poems this time are about light from the sun reading us ‘Every Nine Minutes’ and how I relate to my inspiration in “Calling My Radiant Muse.”

Everything from astrology to moon cycles to planetary influences to women’s myth and lore are included in these exquisitely illustrated pages.

This datebook and also the wall calendar are available at many bookstores and art venues including Radiance in Olympia and Phoenix Rising in Port Townsend.

Two Poems in Earth’s Daughters Journal

Two of my poems appeared in issue #91 of the literary journal Earth’s Daughters this summer. The theme was ‘lines.’ The poem “Esther’s Last Story,” as about my grandmother telling me about her humiliation standing in bread lines during the Great Depression. The other one is called “Bone Notes” and is about my mother’s wonderful habit of doodling and sketching. She would start with a line or squiggle and turn this into beautiful and complex portraits. She used to draw on all sorts of things. I would gather these up and save them often playing with them like paper dolls.

I love this journal which is part of a women’s collective. See more at www.earthsdaughters.org.

Three Acceptances in a Row!

After a run of rejections, I suddenly got three pieces of good news! My poem “The Oystermen” was a finalist for the Joan Swift Prize from Poetry Northwest and will be published online this fall. Then The Louisville Review emailed to tell me they accepted “Gutenberg’s Mirrors” and “Traffic Fiction” for their next issue. Finally Bacopa Literary Review informed me that “Auditioning Death” is a finalist for their annual poetry prize and will be included in their contest issue. Great to find homes for all these poems. “Traffic Fiction” had received positive feed-back from several editors. It will be great to see it in print finally.