Gabby Gilliam, a fellow member of the collective who like myself lives in the Greater Washington D.C. region which encompasses Northern Virginia and Maryland, recently posted a link on social media about the Second Annual Short Poem  Edition just published by the nonprofit Washington Writers Publishing House.

The three-line poems posted, immediately drew my attention and got me to thinking about the power of short poetry. Gabby will be the guest poetry editor for the Winter “Cooold Turkey” themed issue of the literary magazine Instant Noodles. Get more information here.

Below are two of my favorite short poems. One is Quiet Girl by Langston Hughes and the other is a haiku by Matsuo Basho,

Quiet Girl

By Langston Hughes (1901-1967)

I would liken you
To a night without stars
Were it not for your eyes.
I would liken you
To a sleep without dreams
Were it not for your songs.

In the Twilight Rain

By Matsuo Basho

(1644-1694)

In the twilight rain

These brilliant-hued hibiscus-

A lovely sunset

Short poetry has power. Thank you for reading and if you’d like to share a favorite short poem, please send it in via “comments.” Remember to also follow the Old Scratch Press Facebook page and check out what people are saying about our first book release A Break in the Field by Ellis Elliot.