Poetry

This week I received the thrilling news that one of my poems has been accepted for this year's Artemis Journal. This year's theme is Homeward Bound, also the title of my poem. I've been published a few times in this prestigious journal, but the last time was the 2022 issue.

From their website: Artemis, now 48 years old, celebrates the voices and visions of artists and writers from the Appalachian region of the Blue Ridge Mountains and beyond. Like its namesake, the Greek lunar goddess, Artemis, had the divine duty of illuminating the darkness and was the goddess of the hunt and protector of the natural world. She is often depicted carrying a candle or torch, lighting the way for others and leading them through uncharted territories.

Artemis Journal was created and is still run by Jeri Rogers. She created Artemis out of writing workshops she held for victims of domestic violence in Southwest Virginia, in 1977. She has been an advocate for social justice from the start. In the beginning, only works by women were published. Two years later, they added men. But all the writings are to uphold the values of the Greek lunar goddess Artemis. As the archetype of the mother goddess, Artemis was the protector of wild animals, the wilderness, young women, and childbirth. She was known as a carrier of light.

This year, Artemis invited poets and artists (the journals always contain beautiful artwork as well as poetry and --sometimes-- essays) to explore the theme of "Homeward Bound." The theme asked us to consider the tension between where we come from and where we are going. It asked whether returning home was comforting or challenging.

They wanted poems that explored the theme without being overly sentimental. They asked for work that shows depth and encourages thought.

I can't publish my own poem here until after Artemis Journal publishes it this summer. But I can say I wrote about a place in Missouri that calls to me still. A place with happy childhood memories, and how I feel pulled to return.

Do you have a place that calls to you? Are you homeward bound? Do you read/write poetry? If so, what are your favorites to read or write about?

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