Dear Readers,

Happy 250 years America! 

I just found out that After/Thought Literary has closed its doors. They will not be posting their June issue (or my poems). So, I have decided that rather than sending my work back out, I'm going to post it here! 

I hope you are all well, or..well enough on this day of celebration.

Jan ❤️

A New Order

Today collects dust.

Like rain it fills cracks,

dilutes dreams.

All of the magical words

disappear

into a thick stream -

a new consciousness.

 

Yet nothing ...

feels like tomorrow.

  

 

Probabilities 

 

I tell you about

the stars and you name them

like numbers -

trigonometry I don't understand

or geometric probabilities of war.

 

The minutes move

from a day. Hours fall

like seconds

into a new paradigm shift.

 

Words spread across world history

written

the likes not seen

for centuries.

 

(c) Jan Darrow 2026 

Sometimes..in order to go forward, you have to go back. And who doesn’t love The Beatles?

Dear Readers,

Ah! I don’t know where the time goes. Yes. I’m still here and writing! 

I wanted to let you know that After/Thought Literary let me know today that they are publishing two of my poems in their June issue. I’m thrilled! I will post the link when it’s up.

I hope you’re well and enjoying the weather! 

💛 Jan

 

House at Dusk

 

Upstairs a door is closing -

voices evaporate.

 

The heat of the day is gone.

 

Outside,

spent lilacs burnish color

onto panes of glass.

Trees spin darkness against the sky.

 

The garden is iridescent.

White clusters

of viburnum globes shimmer

in the filtering shadows.

 

The earth shifts.

Then, a gust of wind roars

through the trees.

 

Clouds move in

but not before the stars

begin to move across the sky.

They leave their pallor sails

to the wind

while a crisp white moon

is forever moored

to the tides.

 

Jan Darrow 2025

First published by Poppy Road Review  

van Gogh

This morning

I hang wheat fields

across the kitchen sky -

paper bright as stars.

 

In the afternoon

paint

slips through

my fingers

like gold.

 

Under a whisper of sun

contrasting images

become large

as flowers in a vase –

citrine faces adorned.

 

Tonight the moon cascades

across a starlight sky

filled with boats beneath

the dark hue

lamp lit

to the naked eye.

 

First published by Poppy Road Review 

2026 Jan Darrow  

                          Photo by Sylvia Medlen

Early spring in Michigan - capturing a deer, glistening spider webs, and fog. Simply ethereal!

I’m recommending two poems by Dane Karnick - Great Salt Lake, and Neighbors - which you can find on Poppy Road Review. Just click the link below. They’re awesome!

https://poppyroadreview.blogspot.com/2026/04/great-salt-lake-neighbors-by-dane.html