Three school poems at The Radical Teacher

The following poems— all true stories— have been published by The Radical Teacher and will also appear in my forthcoming collection Teaching While Black:

• “blackface party”

• “muscle memory”

• “when asked why ‘all lives’ don’t matter”

Three poems at Rigorous

The good folks at Rigorous have seen fit to publish three more of my poems, all ekphrastic in nature:

1. “essay for history B”

   [inspired by thanks Langston Hughes’ “Theme for English B”]

2. “an open letter to an american institution”

   [inspired by Ted Kooser’s “Fort Robinson”]

   and

3. [Say the blues were apocalyptic— Black]

   [a sonnet inspired by James Cone’s The Cross and the Lynching Tree]

“fugue state in B minor” at 3 Elements Literary Review

The good folks at 3 Element Literary Review are publishing another one of my poems in their latest issue.

I pay homage to Robert Frost, Dylan Thomas, and Amy Winehouse in a semi-“formal”way.


Look for “fugue state in B minor” on page 68.

3Elements Literary Review

[Bittersweet news] 2019 Orison Chapbook Prize Finalist (but not a winner)

I received the following notification today:

Dear Matthew Henry,

I'm writing to let you know that "many strange apparitions" was selected as a finalist in The 2019 Orison Chapbook Prize. Congratulations!

While your manuscript was not selected as the winner, you should feel proud of being named a finalist out of a pool of over 325 manuscripts! Choosing a winner was truly difficult.

We'll announce the winner and finalists on our website and on social media shortly.

Thank you for sending such fine work, and best wishes for your writing.

Always the bridesmaid…

Many Strange Apparitions is one iteration of a book of sonnets I’ve been working on for quite some time, and whose individual pieces have been accepted at publications such as Amethyst Review, The Other Journal, Rhino, Rock and Sling, 3Elements Literary Review, Spiritus, and The Windhover among others.

Until they find publication as a collection, I’ll take this honor as a push in the right direction.

Two poems published in the Fall issue of Third Wednesday

(Despite formatting and byline issues)

“the decade we won’t discuss”

and

“when the detective asked for a statement”

inhabit the pages of Third Wednesday.

Best of the Net nomination

My poem "Say God is the music we strain to hear" was nominated for a 2019 Best of the Net award!

The poem appears in, and was nominated by the good people at 3Elements Literary Review, where it can be found in Issue 22 .

[Say the polygamous just understand] at Amethyst Review

Amethyst Review has published another one of my sonnets, [Say the polygamous just understand].

Say the polygamists just understand
the spiritual is always public,
never private…

"maybe Jesus forgot to eat His spinach"—a sonnet on theodicy—published in The Windhover

maybe Jesus forgot to eat His spinach

Michael thought the sermon went rather well—
how he without sin should cast the first stone.
later, Bible closed, he wondered…

The Windhover 23.2

Almost two decades of thanks is given to educator, author, speaker, and artist Dr. Thomas Oord for inspiring this poem (and the many others like it). Specifically his latest book God Can’t, which helped crystallize its words.

Two poems accepted for an upcoming anthology

“legacy”— one of my few (read: only) family poems— and “we all have to make sacrifices”— another race & school poem— were both accepted for inclusion in an upcoming anthology entitled Show Us Your Papers, which will be published by Main Street Rag.

Details to follow...

Three poems featured by In Parentheses Magazine

Three (3) of my poems are featured at In Parentheses:

B.A. Van Sise’s photo “Elsewhere #5”

• “the other fall” ~ an ekphrastic poem based on B.A. Van Sise’s photo “Elsewhere #5” (with homages to Bruegel, Williams, and Auden)

  
  

• “Birnam Wood” ~ a “true” story

  
  

• “show, don't tell” ~ a “truer” story

“Confession found in a Motherhouse” at Amethyst Review

“Confession found in a Motherhouse” has been published by Amethyst Review.

• This poem is an ekphrasitic work inspired by Motherhouse, a novel by the wonderful and talented Jeanine Hathaway (whose collection of poetry Long after Lauds was recently released).

Welcome

Welcome to MEHPoeting.com:

Dedicated to everyone who hoped or feared being a story or sermon illustration.

It was time to start a website.

Take the tour.

• Learn a little about me.

• Read some sample poetry and short stories.

• Come back for publication updates and random musings.

• Or drop me a line.

That’s about the size of it.