"Bygone"

A cento is a poem built of lines by other poets, with surprising results. My effort, "Bygone," has multiple voices but one source: an anthology I've kept since high school, New Voices in American Poetry. Poets include Alice Walker (who I studied with one summer at Sarah Lawrence College), Thomas Lux (professor at SLC who I did not study with, sadly), Louise Glück, Charles Simic, and others. See how a new poem is born from these greats: 

https://theamericanscholar.org/come-live-with-me-and-be-my-love-2/

P.S. I'm thrilled to be given the title "NLP all-star" by the master of poetry prompts, David Lehman. 

Cheers,

Charise

 

Community Poem 2026

 Creative Hydration

 

We knew the thunder was coming, 

like a swarm coming after you. After loss,

community: “remind me of your name.” 

Two vessels meet, pouring into one another, 

 

reminding me of the delicate balance between 

nature and humanity. Warmth of the sun 

multiplied today... even flies are sweating.

Still, we stayed, hands clutched on our creations. 

 

This country will be “us.” A luscious garden

around empty tables, art blooming like flowers. 

Two barred owls sing me back to sleep, heaven,

infinity. Spider silk stretches between boughs. 

 

Smelling basil, I sat, grateful for a vagabond 

breeze. The deer on the road stares back. 

Butterflies tasting the salt on my skin. We are 

all pretty once. Life, the trophy, I have not

 

forgotten you. We danced, waiting for the storm 

to pass. Rain, rain, hail, hail. Creative hydration 

can quench as well... this place, people who cross 

our paths. The word “yet” fuels art, caresses the valley.  

 

~ Voices of Visitors to the Poetry Porch, Art on Cullers Run   

    (arranged by Charise Hoge)  

 Thank you all for writing on my notepad!  

 

 

 

Serious Fun: Poets of "Next Line, Please"

This book doesn't belong to me but it's a brainchild of mine. Serious Fun brings together nineteen poets whose common bond is David Lehman's poetry column "Next Line, Please" of The American Scholar. We played with writing prompts weekly, became poetry kin virtually. When the column closed, I thought a book of our poetry was a good idea. Idea to fruition is a long and bumpy road, but when people get on board the way this band of dogged and distinguished writers do, we ride it out. Now this opus belongs to... you (cover art by one of our poets, LaWanda Walters):

https://www.zeitgeist-press.com/index.php/product/serious-fun-pre-order/

"These poets are marvelous souls who know that poetic journeys lead to fabulous places, and that the road of poesy is, in the end, infinite."  ~Andrei Codrescu 

 

Cheers,

Charise

Make it Seven

This is my seventh year as poet-in-residence for Art on Cullers Run! Hopefully the community doesn’t tire of me because I never get tired of this opportunity. It’s a highlight of the year, sharing poem making in the mountains. 

Leave the hullabaloo of the city and enjoy art outdoors for July 4th (or 3rd):

Cheers,
Charise

Placeholder

May I invite you into my newly painted office, with a gallery wall of book cover art? We patched all the nicks from its previous life as the rec room, and picked a warm white (called "Adorn") to cover the light blue that got tired. I call this post "Placeholder" before I share what is going on with writing and events for June and July! Here are the covers for Meet Your Muse: The Dance of Creativity, art by Kate Kroska, and Striking Light from Ashes, art by Rahela Majidi. How did Frida Kahlo (art by Kaylee Collinson) get in there? She was a gift from my daughter, and seems to belong, a special guest. 

Cheers, 
Charise

Writer's Center Event

The Writer's Center of Bethesda, Maryland is hosting The Capitol Hill Poetry Group for a reading and sharing of poetry craft. Get the inside scoop on the creation of poems now featured in our anthology, The Other Side of the Hill. I'm sorry to be away for this event! My high school reunion in New York is calling... for the very same date... and there are rumors I may be our class speaker for the occasion. Do not hesitate to hear my fellow poets, all brilliant at their craft. They are my poetry family, and it was a tough decision to choose my reunion over their company. Here are the details:

Kindly reserve at this link (it helps determine how many chairs and how many cookies to offer): https://writer.org/event/other-side-of-the-hill/

Cheers,
Charise

Picture Window

Well, not technically a picture window, but isn't it? This is how azaleas light up a basement office. At this time of year, each year, I walk into my office stopped by the view. Take it in, ephemeral spring. Wait to turn on the lights. A stack of papers on my desk will outlast the season anyway. Azaleas allow for getting less done. 

Wishing you more flower encounters...

Cheers,
Charise