Two of my poems are included in the Shut Down Strangers anthology released to celebrate Springsteen’s 70th birthday and to capture all the different reasons and ways people have of​ loving Springsteen’s work. 

The anthology is published by Bone & Ink Press it contains a range of work – fiction, non fiction and poetry – that bounces off Springsteen’s songs.

“The work in this anthology speaks deeply to the gift that is Springsteen’s music and is a testament to the way his lyrics play in our heads, resonate in our souls, and help us make sense of the world and feel so much less alone. This book is evidence that almost anyone can find their way into his songs, as if Springsteen purposely left space for them. His characters capture the imagination of these writers and live on, becoming as real as anything, infusing the reader with the sense of belonging, connection, and community found in listening to Springsteen’s songs.”

–Shawna Lemay is the author of Rumi and the Red Handbag and other books.

I created two centos from Springsteen songs, which is a VERY unusual way for me to write, usually I’m totally uninterested in writing that involves puzzling around with other people’s words, but this was heaps of fun. Here’s an extract from my poem that used the lyrics from Its Hard to be a Saint in the City and Lost in the Flood

dressed in drag for homicide

‘hey kid…this countryside is a hurricane
oil and blood
breaking beams and crosses
senses thrown to war
tracks clack
every noise boy smiles sweet
and pleads immaculate conception’

Head over to Bone & Ink Press to get a copy of the anthology.