Issue 11
March 2025
Editors’ Note
Dear RPP Readers,
Welcome to the Spring 2025 issue of RockPaperPoem, our 11th triannual ensemble of poetry!
We are overwhelmed with gratitude by the support that you have shown us, especially over the past few months. Not only was RockPaperPoem voted a top 10 “Best Poetry Lit Mag of 2024” in Chill Subs’ recent survey, but our editors received a record number of submissions to consider for Issue 11—50% more than our previous high point!
In this issue, we are thrilled to showcase 21 poems we think you will enjoy reading more than once. In the current times of anxiety and uncertainty about the future, it is always reassuring to find poet creators who won’t let us down, who don’t give up, who never lose hope.
We want to welcome back Laura Foley and Robbie Gamble, whose work appeared in earlier issues. In addition, we present 17 poets new to our pages who will stir, support, and deepen your connections to the humanity they share in their poetry.
As we send you our best wishes in this new season, we thank you for visiting us and for your readership!
With warm regards,
The Editors
Image Credits:
White Space - Anna’s Hummingbird (leucistic male)
Photo - Old wooden kitchen chair Image Author: Peter E. Hart https://www.flickr.com/photos/pehart/30485157246/in/photostream/ License: CC BY 2.0 Attribution ShareAlike (Changes made: cropped the image, resized to 480x360, removed artist’s name, recolored eyes, beak, and feet to be consistent with those of an albino hummingbird
Undergrowth - "Undergrowth Vincent Van Gogh" Image Author: Vincent Van Gogh https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Undergrowth_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg License: Public Domain
After Telling My Therapist the Anxiety is Worse - "Woman in Tank Top" Image Author: Lazarus Ziridis Edited by Deborah Goschy https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-tank-top-24182327/ License: All photos and videos on Pexels are free to use.
Slothing - Pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus), Tarumã – Ponta Negra Environmental Protection Area, Manaus, Brazil https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C3%81rea_de_Prote%C3%A7%C3%A3o_Ambiental_Taruma-Ponta_Negra_-_Thais_Shepard.jpg
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International.
Z Fuse - "Pretty Woman’s Bare Back Image" Author: https://www.pickpik.com/woman-back-view-skin-hair-fashion-beautiful-131795#google_vignette License: The images provided by PickPik are free to use for personal and commercial projects
the sea softens quiet dreams of sand - "Scenic View of Sunset on a Sea during Dusk" Image Author: Chris F https://www.pexels.com/photo/scenic-view-of-sunset-on-a-sea-during-dusk-14240411/ License: All photos and videos on Pexels are free to use.
Or: islands get flown-over in intermittent beats - "Palm Trees on Beach" Image Author: Fuka jaz https://www.pexels.com/photo/palm-trees-on-beach-11944898/ License: All photos and videos on Pexels are free to use.
Southeast of Fresno as Los Angeles Burns - Palisades Fire as seen from Downtown Los Angeles Image Author: Toastt21 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PalisadesFire_fromDowntown.png License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International. Changes made: cropped the image, resized image to 480x360, removed place/time stamp, applied brightness and contrast corrections
Walking the Neighborhood - Two Caracaras composite photo by Deborah Goschy
Photo 1 "Crested Caracara Perched on a Cactus.jpg" Image Author: Betty Wills https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/ce/Crested_caracara_perched_on_a_cactus.jpg License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Changes: Cropped out background, Adjusted colors, Placed onto another photo
Photo 2 "Southern crested caracara (Caracara plancus)" Image Author: Charles J. Sharp, Scottish wildlife photographer https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_crested_caracara_(Caracara_plancus).JPG License: License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Changes made: Copy/paste of parts of image to facilitate composite
The Common Catling - "Time To Strike!" Image Author: Daniel Lee https://www.flickr.com/photos/dlee13/12218054895 License: License: CC BY-ND 2.0 Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic Changes made: Image was cropped and resized
i feel bad for [the body] - "A Person with Blood Stain on Her Chin". Image Author: cottonbro studio https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-person-with-blood-stain-on-her-chin-5546483/ License: All photos and videos on Pexels are free to use.
Almost - "Regina Vadney, nurse midwife, William Beaumont Army Medical Center". Image Author: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service https://nara.getarchive.net/media/regina-vadney-nurse-midwife-william-beaumont-army-3a7c7b. Public Domain Dedication. Public Use Notice of Limitations: https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright
Tiptoeing Through the Trip Wires, or How to Have a Conversation With Your Nine-Year-Old Son - photo of a woman holding her son Image Author: unknown https://pxhere.com/en/photo/154038#google_vignette License: CC0 Public Domain. Free for personal and commercial use. No attribution required.
Suppose at Waking, A Dream - "Magician with Endless Handkerchiefs". Image Author: Deborah Goschy/Adobe Firefly.
Aspirations - "Raspberry Bush Garden" Image Author: unknown https://garystockbridge617.getarchive.net/amp/media/raspberry-bush-garden-d40d6c. License: This image is from Pixabay and was published prior to July 2017 under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license https://web.archive.org/web/20161229043156/https://pixabay.com/en/service/terms/. In July 2017, Pixabay switched the old sitewide license for all uploads from Creative Commons CC0 to a custom license arrangement that does not meet the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license terms.
Dragonfly - "Green and Blue Dragonfly on Wood" Image Author: Jorge Urosa https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-and-blue-dragonfly-on-wood-5446645/ License: All photos and videos on Pexels are free to use.
what falls to ground - "A dandelion seed head with seeds flying away" Image Author: ArtCoreStudios https://freerangestock.com/photos/152069/a-dandelion-seed-head-with-seeds-flying-away.html. License: CC0 No Rights Reserved
Зной - "Couple sharing an affectionate moment on the bed, looking at each other" Image Author: unknown https://freerangestock.com/photos/179075/couple-sharing-an-affectionate-moment-on-the-bed-looking-at-each-other.html License: Equalicense
blue flower - "Vase of Blue" Image Author: Deborah Goschy
From Both Sides Now - "oldsmar Florida water reflection, clouds, and sky" Image Author: unknown https://pxhere.com/en/photo/685905#google_vignette License: CC0 Public Domain. Free for personal and commercial use. No attribution required.
Hey Suka Suka - "A vintage steam locomotive, B2502, is displayed in Ambarawa, Indonesia" Image Author: Hullie at Wikimedia Commons https://picryl.com/media/b2502-locomotive-amabarawa-indonesia-0efd84 License: Public Domain
scissors - "Woman in Black Nails Cutting the Hair of the Person" Image Author: Kampus Production https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-black-nails-cutting-the-hair-of-the-person-8834089/ License: All photos and videos on Pexels are free to use.