Robert Lee Brewer is the poetry columnist for Writer’s Digest Magazine. He has just published his first chapbook, Enter. He read his poems at the recent Blue Ridge Writers Conference and was a National Featured Poet at the Austin International Poetry Festival. He lives with his family in suburban Atlanta, Georgia.
Brewer blogs at My Name is Not Bob. This poem is from his chapbook.
Father’s shoes
After midnight. Your legs
and right ankle are sore.
You’ve been running along
the river again. You saw
two new things. First,
a toy soldier. Which reminded
you of your father after
he returned from the casinos
in Atlantic City. Gone
a whole week once. So that
you began to wonder. Then,
there was the time he left
on his 10-speed. Later,
he called on a pay phone
in Indiana. Near a park
wanting picjed up. You
remember your mother packing
you and your brothers
in the car. Pretending
nothing was wrong, not
a damn thing missing,
all the while waiting
for the other shoe to drop.
For National Poetry Month, we’re giving away a copy of Neruda’s Memoirs: Poems by Maureen Doallas. Leave a comment by April 20 and your name is automatically entered for the random drawing.
- Poets and Poems: Gillian Allnutt and “wake” - December 12, 2024
- Poets and Poems: Claude Wilkinson and “Soon Done with the Crosses” - December 10, 2024
- Poets and Poems: Megan Willome and “Love and other Mysteries” - December 5, 2024
Maureen Doallas says
Good selection! This is one of the poems I mention in my review of Robert’s chapbook that I will be posting in a week or so.
Robert Lee Brewer says
Thank you for featuring me and picking out this poem (that was originally selected for publication in a Poets on Twitter issue of OCHO by Collin Kelley). And I’m looking forward to your review too, Maureen!
Octavia says
We hung poetry butterflies in trees in honor of Poetry Month. See the photos on my daughter’s blog-Sojo’s Trumpet: http://trumpetworld.blogspot.com/
Debra Elliott says
Robert is a great guy and an awesome poet. Glad to see him featured.
Nikki Markle says
Love Robert’s poetry! He has such a smooth style and interesting subject matter.
Deb Brunell says
I found Robert’s PAD Challenge about 2 years ago and it inspired me to get back into writing. I love that he understands and teaches there is no “right answer” when writing to his prompts. He encourages listening to your inner muse and I needed that.