Tag Archives: bigger than they appear

“Starlings” by Matthew Haughton

Bigger Than They AppearNefarious, they never seem
to travel alone—
only in packs
as if seeded by stars,
conceived the night before.

Matthew Haughton,
Bigger than They Appear (2011)

“What a cache of treasures this collection is, what a cache of jewels. […] All are reminders of what the best, briefest poems can do: give back the world to us, as it passes, in the mirror of a few well-chosen words.”

-Cecilia Woloch

Matthew HaughtonMatthew Haughton was born in Colorado in 1977. At an early age, his family returned to eastern Kentucky, where his lineage stretches back over a century in the region. Matthew is a graduate of the University of Kentucky. His poetry has appeared in literary magazines such as Kentucky MonthlyStill: The Journal, and The Heartland Review. Bee-Coursing Box was his first published collection of poems. He lives and works as an artist and educator in Lexington Kentucky.

“Surf” by Jan Seale

Bigger Than They AppearWalk out alone:
the water giggling,
then gathering a laugh,
full of wit, wise,
but unpredictable…
on to a guffaw,
a burst of hilarity,
and finally a roaring wave,
lips full open,
head tilted back,
hands far below,
grabbing at the knees,
lecherous,
an ancient god
with serious comb-over.

-Jan Seale,
Bigger than They Appear (2011)

Jan Seale’s published work includes six books of poetry, two of which are The Wonder Is and Valley Ark.