Better Than Starbucks
Poetry and Fiction Journal
. . . if you love diversity and creative writing in any and every form, then you’re in the right place . . .
May 2021
Vol VI No II
Published quarterly:
February, May, August,
and November.
Poetry for Children
with Robert Schechter
Two Riddles
1.
What rises to one hundred degrees,
Makes you shiver as though you freeze,
Offers you rest but gives you aches,
And leaves you sweating when it breaks?
2.
Beside the hill there stands a queen
Who sews with needles painted green
A coat which she alone may wear
With buttons added here and there.
She drops the needles if they rust
And at her feet they turn to dust.
Little Stone is a gardener and intentional communitarian from Lexington, Kentucky. He received his BA in English from the Ohio State University and his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan, where he won a Hopwood Graduate Poetry Award
When Stefan got stuck in his high chair
When Stefan got stuck in his high chair,
we couldn’t disguise our surprise,
for, though hardly thin when Mum slotted him in,
we never dreamed this would arise!
And he wailed and he wheezed as we wrestled and squeezed,
yes, he made a great hullabaloo,
till we’d all had enough and at last, out of puff,
we supposed he was stuck there with glue!
When Stefan got stuck in his high chair,
we wondered which foods were to blame?
Perhaps all that porridge? Although, to our knowledge,
it could have been eggs, just the same.
That third slice of bacon was surely mistaken.
One muffin too many, no doubt . . .
But, any which way, what was easy to say
was we’d no chance of getting him out.
When Stefan got stuck in his high chair,
there wasn’t a lot we could do.
Consoling attempts seemed to cause more offence
and so, sadly, our options were few.
Thus it was that, downcast, we concluded at last
that the only way out we could see
was to stay there and play, with him wedged in, all day
and to hope he’d get thinner by tea!
Claire Schlinkert is a children’s poet who lives in London, U.K. Her poetry has been published in the anthology Hop to it (Pomelo Books) and online. Two of her poems were commended in the 2021 Yorkmix Poems for Children competition.
Cats Across the Internet
We’re cats!
We’re on the internet!
We guarantee you’ll find us.
We’re here to entertain you when
you’re bored and feeling mindless.
You’ll see us making funny faces,
typing on computers,
running from the vacuum cleaner,
chasing kids on scooters,
unraveling the toilet paper,
stalking helpless birds and rats,
or sleeping in the laundry hamper,
wearing wacky wigs and hats.
We’ve taken over cyberspace,
but, really, who can blame us?
We used to be anonymous.
Now, finally, we’re famous.
Family Reunion
For our family reunion in the middle of July,
My mother’s sister Helen baked an elderberry pie.
My father’s sister Gladys brought the burgers and the ribs.
His other sister Bobbie brought the napkins and the bibs.
My uncle Bernie’s wife prepared a bucket full of wings.
My cousin Matthew’s mother made a salad fit for kings.
And grandma’s daughter Lily and her sister Betty Lou
Brought sweet-potato-beet-tomato-hot-tamale stew.
My grandpa’s daughter Anna brought zucchini in a pot.
She cooked it for a week but it was never really hot.
The cole slaw and potato salad both were from Bernice.
You probably don’t know her, she’s my grandma’s sister’s niece.
​
My uncle’s dear wife Rhoda brought the soda and the punch.
She also brought antacid for her husband after lunch.
Before we started eating, all the ladies did a dance.
I’m glad they all attended — What’s a picnic without aunts?
First published in What I Did On My Summer Vacation (Meadowbrook Press, 2009).
Neal Levin has had poems published in over a dozen anthologies and a wide variety of magazines ranging from Highlights For Children to the Saturday Evening Post. You can find out more on his website: www.neallevin.com.
Who I Am
I’m the top of a cloud
when my day turns out well,
I’m the heart of a seed
when I’m feeling shy.
I’m the back of a tree
when I’ve been let down,
I’m an endless field
when I’ve helped you along.
I’m a shrinking tunnel
when I’m scared and alone,
I’m the glare of a torch
when it really hurts.
I’m a roaring sky
when I can’t calm down,
I’m floating wings
when I’m feeling proud.
​
Tonight, I’m going to ride the moon,
because I’m brave.
Julie Stevens writes poems that sometimes reflect the impact MS has on her life. Her poems have been published in various magazines, online and in print. She writes for children and adults. Her website is www.jumpingjulespoetry.com.
Valerie Mariya unsplash
Personals, Royal Gazette
WANTED: By a dashing prince
a maiden who’s not wont to wince
at warty skin and bulging eyes
and slimy lips and breath of flies.
One quick kiss will break the spell.
Inquire at palace by the well.
Helen Kemp Zax is the co-winner of the 2021 YorkMix International Prize for children’s poetry and the 2018 First Prize winner of the middle grade Katherine Paterson Prize. Her poetry appears in Cricket, High Five, and The Caterpillar.
Grandad’s Leaving Home
Will Grandad need a suitcase
When he goes to heaven
Will he need a crisp white shirt
To dress for dinner at seven?
Will he need his passport
For city breaks away
Will God let him use a phone
To ring us every day?
Will he know which peg is his
To hang his coat and hat
Will he be shown where the toilets are
And important things like that?
Will there be a Watchman
Who stays awake all night
Will he know that Grandad
Can’t sleep without a light?
Will God give him pocket money
To buy a paper and sweets
And his ticket to football
The highlight of his week?
Will He notice if he’s sad
And listen to his fears
Will somebody care enough
To wipe away his tears?
Who is listening to me now
Is anybody there?
I hope that God has taken notes
And won’t forget this prayer.
Debra Bertulis is widely published in poetry anthologies. She enjoys visiting schools across the UK, inspiring children to compose poetry. Her debut collection for 7 to 11-year-olds will be published by Otter-Barry Books in 2022. Her website is www.debrabertulis.com.
Anticipating
Eggs
are opening;
hives
are opening;
dens
are opening;
doors
are opening;
wings
are opening;
eyes
are opening;
beaks
are opening;
jaws
are opening:
spring
is opening.
Summer is waiting.