Susan Isla Tepper has a new Novel just out titled “Hair of a Fallen Angel” from Spuyten Duyvil Books, NYC. A twenty-year writer, she’s authored 12 books of fiction and poetry and 5 stage plays. Honors include 21 Pushcart Prize Nominations. Her play ‘The Crooked Heart’ concerning artist Jackson Pollock premiered on October 25, 2022 at the Irish Repertory Theatre in NYC. Adapted from an earlier novel, it was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. A new play titled EVA & ADAMO will go up this year at THE TANK, NYC. Susan is a Brand Ambassador for The Galway Review. A Youtube music video for her new novel at: https://youtu.be/W2HVIc4NrqY
http://www.susantepper.com
FIRES
By Susan Isla Tepper
The people of the village
small structures and few
stood in a cold field
a prayer circle
ringed by fire
clutching an abiding
belief in a god
trusting his conclusions
such as they perceived
HIM
to a fault—
North Berwick’s witches
burning after brief trials.
Marked by fear and
the witch pricking needle
some village women
sprouted the pox
feared they’d be called
on some flimsy charge.
Ripping out fistfuls of hair
taking to dirty straw beds.
Others fled into the woods.
Only
the all-seeing
ever present sky
showed pity, turned
a sullen yellow from
the fires of despair.
Poet/photographer Alexis Rhone Fancher is published in Best American Poetry, Rattle, The American Journal of Poetry, Spillway, Plume, Diode,The Pedestal Magazine, Duende, Vox Populi, Gargoyle, Elysium Review, and elsewhere. Her photos are published worldwide. She’s authored ten poetry collections, most recently, TRIGGERED, (MacQueens) and BRAZEN. (NYQ). A coffee table book of over 100 of Alexis’ photographs of Southern California poets will be published by Moon Tide Press in early 2025. She calls the Mojave Desert home. www.alexisrhonefancher.com
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