I awoke here in Northfield to snow sifting down this morning. Still dark out, the street and sidewalks were as bright as blank paper. The gardens, trees, and lawns were dark silhouettes and planes of shadow.

Then I discovered that the new issue of The Orchards had been published, always a cause for celebration. I love this wintery cover image of the vintage train steaming along a country track. It reminds me of how the holidays, fully laden with traditions and new surprises, advances upon us every year. It also seems an apt visual metaphor for this particular issue, filled as it is with 98 poems by 77 poets. I have not yet had time to read any of the other poets’ work, but I am looking forward to curling up with a cup of cocoa and slowly turning the pages of the paper copy I have ordered once it arrives. What better oasis of rich calm could I imagine on a snowy winter day?

This issue is available for purchase through Kelsay Books and Amazon, and the digital version is available for free. A link to the digital copy can be found on The Orchards Poetry Journal homepage. You can also publish a paper copy there.

Happy Reading!