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Nancy Simpson's LIVING ABOVE THE FROST LINE, New and Selected Poems was published by Carolina Wren Press (N.C. Laureate Series, 2010.) She is the author of ACROSS WATER and NIGHT STUDENT, State Street Press, still available on WWW at Alibris and Books Again. Her poems have been published in Southern Poetry Review, Prairie Schooner, The Georgia Review and other literary magazines. "Carolina Bluebirds" was published in THE POETS GUIDE TO THE BIRDS, Anhinga Press). "Grass" was reprinted in the 50th Anniversary Issue of Southern Poetry Review: DON'T LEAVE HUNGRY ( U.of Arkansas Press.) Seven poems were reprinted in the textbook, SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN POETRY,(McFarland.) Two poems were published in SOLO CAFE, Two more poems were published in SOLO NOVO."In the Nantahala Gorge" was published in Pisgah Review. "Studying Winter" was reprinted in Pirene's Fountain Anthology and "The Collection" in Collecting Life Anthology. Most recently, Southern Poetry Review Edited by James Smith, published "Our Great Depression," and The Southern Poetry Anthology Vol. VII: NORTH CAROLINA,Edited by William Wright, reprinted "Leaving in the Dead of Winter."

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

HELEN LOSSE POET OF THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY 2011

WELCOME to poet Helen Losse of Winston Salem, NC, POET OF THE MONTH here Above the Frost Line in this her birth month.

















Deep Purple Shadow


The sun sets behind black trees;
a soft wind cools the air;
the moon’s but a sliver: 
An orange reminder of what’s yet to come.
Fire tonight,
and the Blue Ridge Mountains
cast a deep purple shadow. 
Over a peak, a single star.
Animal sounds appear to surround,
while the moon disappears
into a navy blue sky.
So let us proceed to gather ample wood.
first published in Right Hand Pointing and forthcoming in my book Seriously Dangerous (Main Street Rag, 2011) available for advance order at a reduced price at Main Street Rag Bookstore
Wintertime Prayer
The evening begins with the darkening of trees,
and I enter the sweetest of solitudes.
Where the sun gives us color, setting in the west—
pink and orange, purple and navy: precursors all,
to the purposeful blackening of the sky, which,
nightly in December, forms a simple backdrop.
Yes, pageantry inhabits a cloud-filtered moonlight:
A few lonely stars.  Then the fullness of shadows is
come, is frozen into a landscape, into genuine hope—
where snowflakes fall on the evergreens, on footprints,
are lost in the darkness of deepening snow,
and where inside, the glow of a candle-flame comforts me.
first published in The Centrifugal Eye, and also in my chapbook Paper Snowflakes (Southern Hum Press, 2006, OOP)

POET HELEN LOSSE





Helen Losse is a Winston-Salem poet, author of four collections of poems, including Seriously Dangerous (Main Street Rag, 2011) and Better With Friends (Rank Stranger Press, 2009) and the Poetry Editor for the online literary magazine The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. Her recent poetry publications and acceptances include The Wild Goose Poetry Review, Main Street Rag, Iodine Poetry Review, Blue Fifth Review, The Pedestal Magazine, ken*again, and Literary Trails of the North Carolina Piedmont. Her poems have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and twice for a Best of the Net award, one of which was a finalist.  Helen blogs at Windows Toward the Worldhttp://helenl.wordpress.com/

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2 comments:

Deb said...

Thank you for naming Helen poet of the month! She is wonderful and I love her work. Blessings!

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Nancy,
Thanks for sharing the beautiful poetry of Helen Losse. I enjoyed her poetry very much.

Also, congratulations upon your award for your poetry book. I'm so proud of you my buttons are about to burst.