tinywords

Our new background image for issue 21.1 can be seen as a welcome reminder that we humans do overcome incredible obstacles. And so we have begun to move in the right direction with this global pandemic, defying its terrible gravity. Things are starting to look up as vaccination numbers rise. The rocketship in mid-launch is a photograph taken by Russian artist Danila Tkachenko from his series “Restricted Areas.” The image is of an actual place in Moscow, Russia called?The Monument To the Conquerers of Space. The 350-foot tall titanium tower?s base houses a museum for that country’s space program. Symbolically, however, this is a monument to optimism. With its gentle arc one can’t help but feel uplifted. At least that’s how we choose to see things. And what does a poet’s voice offer if not a new way of seeing the world.

In the issue of TINYWORDS that follows we have again been lucky enough to present voices from all over the globe. Congratulations to Martin Gottlieb Cohen and Rich Schilling who open the new issue with their winning poems inspired by our photo prompt, “Ruined Chateau,” by Matt Emmett. Their poems are featured below. As always, many fine offerings make the archive well worth reading.

Thanks to TINYWORDS Assistant Editors Polona Oblak and Ruth Holzer, and to founding editor Dylan Tweney, who also serves as our technical advisor and web page designer.

To all of the poets who sent in their poems for 21.1, and to the readers who return year after year, we say thank you.

We wish you all the very best now and in the coming new year.

Be safe, stay healthy. There is nowhere to go but . . . up.

Kathe L. Palka
Peter Newton
Editors, tinywords

Prompt winners:

winter light
through the forgotten ruins
field mice

        ~ Martin Gottlieb Cohen

first light
our new home full of
second thoughts

        ~ Rich Schilling