The Atlantic Monthly says to the aspiring poet
That they want to see poetry of the highest order.
Their best piece of advice, which I parrot, is
Beware of the present tense.
Good advice. Maybe all I can add on is
Beware of lines that begin in the words
Beware of, lines that begin in the words
And end in the expectations that
Shatter the young poets.
The Atlantic Monthly is a distinguished magazine.
It arrived here with intense scrutiny of form
And strong values of literature, of poetry.
Most poets like to pretend this as well.
They do this because it helps their art
As well as allowing them enough $$$
To laze around enough until the next poem.
I believe, however, that I am
Practiced enough for the Atlantic Monthly.
I have written 1,150 poems, all unpublished.
I’m bitter and sardonic and worthless as the rest of them.
And I use “I” in my poetry.
And I use the word “poetry” in my poetry.
Beware of that.
By sheer force of will I foist this onto these editors
With the firm belief that I, though
The last ten issues of the Atlantic
That I read illustrated otherwise
Might find a place in its pages.
I believe that even those with the most stringent of standards
Have a choice in being real or fake at all times, all standards
All manners of professionalism and experience.
I may write like a man who’s just started writing poetry
Despite years of experience and study of form.
And the Atlantic Monthly, in all of its glory, just might see that.
Good.
If they do, you will be reading this.
PS...
Does that Market indeed say
Four
Dollars
A
Line
?