A Love Letter to Mom: an Ameri-Ku by Barbara Harris Leonhard — Hotel

Juan Re Crivello, the Director and Head Editor for Masticadores, has a new Masticadores blog called Hotel Masticadores House. It is open for submissions for works on grief. I just happened to be working on another poem, an Ameri-Ku, about me and Mom, so I submitted it. Thank you, Juan, for publishing my poem! Submit to Juan... Continue Reading →

“Our hidden flower…” by Barbara Leonhard

For the past half week I’ve felt heavy hearted and physically sore. Today I just had to go back to bed and sleep. I finally realized I was grieving Mom because April 3 is the anniversary of her passing.
It makes me wonder what lies beneath other dark days I have. Did something happen to me that I left buried and hidden? That in some mysterious way became my root, my grounding, and my new blooms?

MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

…. isn’t a secret
as we all till the ground
for the daffodil, 
sprung each spring
before an unexpected snow
that bends our backs so low
we wonder if we can survive
The weight of a lingering winter
We brace the cold, wet tears 
and all hold grief
in a sacred spot
where its roots can uphold us
once the frost melts

Copyright © 2023 Barbara Harris Leonhard
All Rights Reserved

Barbara is author of Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir (EIF- Experiments in Fiction, 2022). A poem from this collection was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2022. Also, on Spillwords, Barbara was voted Author of the Month of October 2021, nominated Author of the Year for 2021, and recognized as a Spillwords Socialite of the Year in 2021. In November 2022, she became Editor for MasticadoresUSA. Barbara enjoys bringing writers together and started hosting open mics and readings on…

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“Happy National Poetry Day and World Poetry Day!” by Barbara Leonhard

Friends, I have published a post to celebrate National and World Poetry Day and the first day of Spring on MasticadoresUSA. I invite you to read the post…..

masticadoresusa.wordpress.com/2023/03/21/happy-national-poetry-day-and-world-poetry-day-by-barbara-leonhard/

MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

And it’s the first day of spring! May each new bloom be a poem!

And have you heard of the World Haiku Project? Among other world and nation celebrations, our Missouri State Poet Laureate, Maryfrances Wagner, is promoting Haiku writing across the state. You can read more about it here.

To celebrate all these occasions, I would like to offer some of my haiku. Please reply in the comments with a haiku if you are so moved.

Snow – a sloppy knife daffodils slump over spring caught unaware *** In silence so long ivy caught my heart and climbed my soul *** Wisdom is a cardinal red on green needles *** Green, pink, yellow in the English Ivy last Easter’s eggs *** Prowling cats hidden fairies sun night *** Atop a rusty shovel a cardinal sings spring songs *** The ocean in a grain of sand fends for itself…

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“Happiness is an elephant” by Nolcha Fox (and My Review of Fox’s Book, ‘Memory is that raccoon’) — MasticadoresUsa // Editor: Barbara Leonhard

Nolcha Fox is a prolific and entertaining poet! I was honored to review her book “Memory is that raccoon”, which contains the poem featured here. Enjoy! https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?preview=inline&linkCode=kpd&ref_=k4w_oembed_mGs735zp8njRe2&asin=9395224622&tag=kpembed-20 Happiness is an elephant sitting in the best chair, hogging the remote. I can only feed him peanuts and vacuum when he goes to the refrigerator for a... Continue Reading →

Hidden in Childhood #1 Best Selling Poetry Anthology on Amazon!

I’m pleased to announce that Poet Gabriela Marie Milton has done it again! Her latest anthology, Hidden in Childhood, has reached #1 status on Amazon. This 450-page collection of… Hidden in Childhood #1 Best Selling Poetry Anthology on Amazon! Read through this reblog from MasticadoresUSA for details! Barbara Leonhard Amazon Best-Selling Author Three-Penny Memories: A Poetic Memoir (EIF-Experiments... Continue Reading →

Magazine is born on February 5th in Gobblers, and later it will do so in India and MasticadoresUSA — Gobblers & Masticadores

Magazine is the brainchild of four editors (Terveen Gill, Manuela Timofte, Barbara Leonhard and myself) to publish on Sundays (at the same time) in… India, Usa and Gobblers, one writer from our list of 60 contributors. On February 5 it will appear in Gobblers at the top, and then in the coming months MasticadoresIndia and […]... Continue Reading →

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