submerging poet, dad, editor ~ place, bodies, belonging, the end of the world ~ masthead @VariantLit.bsky.social @PhillyChapbook.bsky.social ~ he/him ~ 🪐💀🏳️‍🌈🍃 https://www.dwbakerpoetry.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3muaonngwjk27I have fallen. it's a bad one29 Aug 2026 20:09 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3muaonngwjk27https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mtreifl3u22qshort poem published in Five Fleas, a journal of haiku, monostitch, & related forms, back in 202423 Aug 2026 17:58 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtreifl3u22qhttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mtofdrwrg22t"Sad/House/Keeping," one of my color studies, published in @aprosexia.org living this poem today after a sad & anxious week22 Aug 2026 13:35 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mtofdrwrg22thttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3msquncplwc23Delighted to be part of this forthcoming anthology, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT, featuring "essays on form & water," from @riverriverbooks.bsky.social. I have a piece on contrapuntal poems & consciousness. The publishers are currently fundraising to help cover costs: see below comment for more details.10 Aug 2026 19:49 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3msquncplwc23https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mr5zsre2n22fI'm grateful to @onlypoemsmag.bsky.social for reprinting my review of @toddedillard.bsky.social's RAGNARÖK AT THE FATHER-DAUGHTER DANCE (2024: @variantlit.bsky.social), first published in @phillychapbook.bsky.social. Here is an excerpt:21 Jul 2026 14:36 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr5zsre2n22fhttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqzicqlb322ghad a horror pantoum accepted for spooky season 🎃 I think it's the perfect form for horror. I've written a few. Throwback to "The Lighthouse," the first I attempted, first published in @cosmicdaffodil.bsky.social then reprinted in @divinationsmag.bsky.social19 Jul 2026 19:12 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqzicqlb322ghttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqzhhqrgyc27love to ignore all non-urgent email for a few days to reset my anticipatory-shame procrastination clock with respite before a cold plunge back in19 Jul 2026 18:57 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqzhhqrgyc27https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqrial3kss25from my review, "Rhythm and Somatic Consciousness: on AUTOCARTOGRAPHIES by @evaalterpoet.bsky.social" (2025: Eulogy Press), published in Dodo Eraser16 Jul 2026 14:49 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqrial3kss25https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqovzmxw2k2kHow I start my mornings now. Stretching dough for the lunch rush [contains quote post or other embedded content]15 Jul 2026 14:18 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqovzmxw2k2khttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqkp6g3ejc2xThe third section of "Traversing Floodwaters In Helios' Cup," one of my linked tanka experiments, recently published in @cincinnatireview.bsky.social's miCRo series13 Jul 2026 22:05 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqkp6g3ejc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqiku4uffs2sCan anyone comment on their experience with Dancing Girl Press as either a customer or an author? I've found some negative feedback online (that they take money then don't fulfill orders or pay out), but nothing from within a year.13 Jul 2026 01:42 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqiku4uffs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqfmr3p3sk2oHave started printing out all my digital review copies of shorter works. Also appreciate receiving print copies of longer works much more than before... The marginalia process just gets much better results than typing notes on a screen, for me at least11 Jul 2026 21:38 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqfmr3p3sk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mqcfexbte22mone year later: recently earned a promotion to a chef role. starting Monday, i'll spend 40 hours weekly making brick oven pizza. weekends & holidays off. Good benefits. Time to read, write, & be with my family. I still miss the kids I taught, but not the bullshit. Life is good [contains quote post or other embedded content]10 Jul 2026 14:48 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqcfexbte22mhttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mq5y5t6jfs24My son just asked if I have ever played chess, which gave me occasion to bring out this artifact of my childhood in Pittsburgh. I had a 1200+ rating and spent many a Saturday on the tournament circuit before giving it up in middle school.08 Jul 2026 20:41 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq5y5t6jfs24https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mq5q6i3vvs2sHere, translation choices as an example of Simic's "endless tinkering" -- an exercise in combinatoric possibility using one of the smallest canonical forms of verse: https://www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/passages/basho-frog.htm [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Jul 2026 18:18 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq5q6i3vvs2shttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mq54bdeoak24The final paragraph of my latest review, "The Hologram and the Hunted: on FOLLOW THIS BLOOD TO FIND A DEAD THING by Charles K. Carter" (Ferbwood Press: 2026), published by @variantlit.bsky.social [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 Jul 2026 12:22 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mq54bdeoak24https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mpf5pejqq224"Meteorite," a short poem featured in my microchapbook LOVE'S THE BURNING BOY (@fifthwheelpress.bsky.social pride series 2026), was first published & nominated for Best of the Net by @identitytheory.bsky.social28 Jun 2026 23:44 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpf5pejqq224https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mpehtjb2w225as a short form enthusiast, here is one of my favorite takes on tiny poems, from Charles Simic's 2013 interview with Granta28 Jun 2026 17:12 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpehtjb2w225https://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3mpabtrtbqc2ai am coming to believe that the tyranny of requisite superlatives, the 11/10 blurb culture, is a cultural analogue of the spread of therapy-speak. both frames of language minimize the individual's accountability for imperfection, blunting growth & development in favor of comfort27 Jun 2026 01:14 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mpabtrtbqc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3moshlpnzlk2tHappy Solstice ☀️ a snippet from my "Solstice Hymn," published last year in Amethyst Review21 Jun 2026 13:20 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3moshlpnzlk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/lowermelody.bsky.social/post/3moq3j4azyk2tCelebrating father's day early since I'm working overtime tomorrow. My son (6) drew this picture of us playing Pokemon cards together. My heart is full!20 Jun 2026 14:38 +0000at://did:plc:vum4yxnitn3f3c2imbswpijh/app.bsky.feed.post/3moq3j4azyk2t